Possessions
by KaelynnD
Summary: The world of shadows was never supposed to cross with our world. It was an accident. But now, the monsters have come out and are looking for their possessions. They want us.
1. One

Hey everyone! So, for the past several months, I have been working out this idea in my head. The plot is basically duel monsters crossing over into the human world. When they do so, they "adopt" a human.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh and I am not following the story line here.

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**Seto's POV**

I heard steps approaching from behind me and quickly moved into a nearby alleyway. I stood pressed against the wall while just a few feet away from where I had just been standing, a dozen beasts sprinted together. While waiting for them to pass, I tried to stay focused on the night around me, but my thoughts took over.

None of this was supposed to happen. When Yugi had made the announcement that he found a way to open the Shadow World, no one took him very seriously. He had been trying for months to open the bridge between the worlds because he was convinced that Yami belonged on the other side. I remember watching impatiently as he quoted some language I couldn't understand, believing all the while that nothing would happen.

A scream brought me back to the present. There was no reason to focus on the past. I couldn't change what had happened. Yugi was dead along with countless others. All that I could do was stay alive in what had become of our world.

When the monsters were gone, I proceeded slowly back onto the street. It now stood completely abandoned. On a usual outing, I often spotted other people moving about, but only during the hours around sunrise and sunset. The time on my watch let me know that it was nearing midnight.

Traveling the streets at any time of the day was dangerous. But the monsters that roamed in the moonlight frightened most everyone, so only daring few chose to venture out after the sun had gone. Demons moved during the night, and being killed by one was not the worst thing that might happen.

Everyone had taken precautions to protect themselves against the monsters. Mokuba and I were no exception. We left our home and moved to a much smaller one that would draw less attention. The Kaiba Mansion was too large to be considered safe, a fact that was proven when several of the beasts made it their home.

I came out at night only of pure necessity. During the day, I was trapped inside the new house to avoid any monsters that traveled in the sun. I was the most afraid of the day monsters, and I would not let them find me. So I forced myself to do my business at night, when the greater number of demons moved about.

I approached my destination cautiously and knocked on the door quickly before entering. I closed the door behind me and was met with darkness.

When I turned around, the glowing eyes of a beast greeted me. I remained perfectly still as it examined me, allowing it to circle me slowly. It was difficult not to flinch as it grew closer to me. His eyes remained locked on me until I heard, "Zoa, he's safe."

The beast moved away so I could walk deeper into the room where Bandit Keith sat. He was in the same position as usual, sitting in front of a computer entering data into a spreadsheet. Zoa, his beast, moved to lie next to him.

"What can I do you for tonight?" Keith questioned. He didn't look at me when he asked, but his arrogant smirk reminded me that I hated coming here. Keith was the only person brave enough to conduct trade with other cities, so all dealing in Domino had to be done through him. I had no where else to go.

"The same as last week," I stated while reaching slowly into my pocket, as not to startle Zoa. The monster's gaze followed my every move.

I pulled out a fold of money and handed it to the bandit. He took the time to count it out before standing and walking to the back of the room. Picking up a box, he began to fill it with an assortment of food, water bottles, batteries, and the like. Once he had put everything in the box that I had requested, he brought it over to me.

I nodded and backed away, eager to leave the presense of one of the monsters. Although I had yet to see Zoa attack anyone, he was likely to if he felt I was a threat.

"Thanks for the business, richy. Come again soon," Keith said, taking his seat at the computer again.

Before I left, I peered out the window to make sure that there wasn't anything lurking out on the streets. When I decided that it was clear, I went out.

I loathed my trips to Keith's home. Ever since Zoa located him, it became harder to do business with him. Everyone in Domino was lucky, however. Zoa actually let Keith interact with others. That was a rare thing once chosen.

I still hadn't learned how being chosen worked. I did know some things about the process. It varied from beast to beast, but for most, the beasts took a claim to a human and isolated them from everything else. The monsters were possessive and jealous, as had been demonstrated in the case with Yugi and Yami.

Almost immediately after opening the portal between worlds, the Dark Magician had claimed Yami. But the Magician grew jealous of the relationship between the two of them. He felt that the only way to have Yami to himself was to kill Yugi. After all, the person a beast chose was theirs, their possession, their property. Anyone else was considered an invader on that property.

And that was why I knew I couldn't be found. I had a strong feeling which monster would be looking for me, and I couldn't let it find me. Mokuba needed my help.

He had been chosen.

I made it back to the house without incident. I laid the box I had been carrying on the ground to pull out my key and unlock the front door. When I was inside, I sat the box on a side table and locked the door behind me. Then I grabbed a water bottle from the contents.

Mokuba was usually in the back room where his beast slept. I had to bring him food and water during the times that he wasn't allowed to leave the room. Those times came quite often.

When I entered, the first thing I noticed was that the beast was awake. Mokuba was sitting beside it, running his hand through its hair.

"Look Kuriboh, Seto's here," Mokuba said, telling the beast so it wouldn't be startled by my sudden presense.

Kuriboh spun around, glaring at me for interrupting his time with Mokuba. I stood still, hoping that it was in a good mood.

"I was just bringing Mokuba some water. I have food in the other room. Can he come eat?" I asked. I hated having to receive permission for such simple things from a furball.

I heard a quiet growling from the beast. Mokuba must have as well, because he started speaking to it in a soothing voice.

"It's alright. He isn't taking me anywhere. But I have to eat and you do too. It had been two days since you have gone out, and over a day since I have eaten. You don't want me to get sick, do you?"

Mokuba said all that in a caring tone, but I could see that he wasn't happy that he had to kiss up to some monster. For months we had been trying to keep Kuriboh happy, and for most of that time, he would tolerate my presense. But I still have some scratches from the last time he got angry at me for getting too close to Mokuba.

We found that Kuriboh could understand what we were saying although he himself couldn't speak. He also could understand reasoning. It had been a while since he went out. Even he had to know that he couldn't stay in here forever.

But he didn't move. I watched Mokuba sigh in frustration.

"I have to eat. Can Seto at least bring me something?" he asked.

Kuriboh turned to Mokuba and stared at him. Mokuba tried to keep an even gaze, but I saw the hopelessness coming through. Mokuba spent almost every minute of his time awake trying to keep Kuriboh happy, but it never was enough when I was around.

The day Kuriboh had found Mokuba, the two of us had gone on an outing at night. We used to always go out together. But Kuriboh had cornered us that night. At the time, we had no way of knowing that the cute monster that Yugi dueled with had an evil side, and that was the side that wanted my brother. Kuriboh tried to kill me that night, but Mokuba managed to convince him that he needed me alive. So Kuriboh put up with me.

I took it as luck that Mokuba wasn't chosen by some much larger creature. I assumed that if I needed to, I would be able to at least defend myself against Kuriboh. All of the monsters were dangerous, even the smaller ones.

Kuriboh pointed one of his hands at me, then moved it to point in the direction of the front room.

"I think it is okay for you to get me something, Seto," Mokuba said, sounding unsure of Kuriboh's true meaning.

I walked back to the box that I bought from Keith. For the most part, all the food was cans that would require cooking. But I always made sure to get granola bars to get to Mokuba easily. This wasn't the first time that Kuriboh had kept him from leaving that room.

When I came back in, Mokuba was leaning against the far wall and Kuriboh was standing in front of him. The beast moved over to me and examined the items in my hands. Once he decided that they were acceptable, I placed them on the table by the door and left the room.

The room Mokuba was in was the only bedroom in the house, so I slept in the living room that was connected to the kitchen. Each night, I had to lock the doors and windows in both those rooms to prepare for the day hours when the light beasts would roam. I knew how important it was to stay hidden, especially now that I could see how possessive the beasts are.

But I still had a few hours until the sun rose. During that time, I had to eat something.

I didn't want to use any of the quick foods, because I was sure that Mokuba would need them at some point. So instead, I grabbed one of the cans of soup. It would take me a few minutes to get that started and while it was cooking, I could check on the news.

The television was no longer the way to get news. Practically all of the news stations had been over run with the creatures, so the only channels still up were the emergency alert notices provided by the government. The Internet still ran normally. In our haste to leave the mansion, I thankfully remembered to grab my laptop.

I checked email first, and found that I had a notice from the United States government. They had been pressuring me for the information about KaibaCorp's old military equipment. Unfortunately, I didn't recall too much about the old workings of KaibaCorp. I had given them all I could, but they didn't believe that I only knew a small portion of the old operations.

"Seto?"

I turned to face the door where I heard Mokuba's voice.

"Yes?"

"I hate asking, but can you move to the corner?"

I knew what he meant. Whenever he had to use the restroom, I had to get as far away from him as possible. And that meant going to a far corner in the room.

"Of course."

I moved to the opposite end of the room so Mokuba could walk to the bathroom. Kuriboh followed him and stayed by the bathroom door, glaring at me the entire time. I was sure that if I tried to move, that thing would attack me, so I stayed still.

A minute or so later, Mokuba came out, and gave me a sad look before being ushered back into his room. I waited until I heard the door close before I moved back to the computer.

Typing my response to the email, I considered the government's plan. They were planning on taking out most of the monsters, but I wasn't quite sure how they planned on doing that without injuring innocent people. I wasn't sure if that was their top priority.

I spent the next few hours surfing through reports and sightings of the monsters in my area, stopping only to have dinner. I was hoping that a certain few of the monsters would leave to move elsewhere, but from what I could see, they all seemed to stay put.

When I saw the sun rising through my window, I jumped up to close them. We had two that faced the streets, and I locked them both, pulling the curtains tightly together. Just as I finished closing the second one, I heard a loud sound that echoed through my mind. It was the cry of a Blue-Eyes.

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Okay, so that is just the beginning, just so the entire scene is set up. Let me know what you think!

Please continue to the next chapter!


	2. Two

Wow! You people are amazing. Seriously. I'm randomly checking stats while writing this, that has got to be the fastest I have ever gotten reviews. I have never wanted to update a story as badly as I do this one.

**J bear: **Thanks! Haha- I haven't seen anything too similar to this on the site, so I'm hoping that it is truly original. I've been messing with this idea for a while now, and finally decided to let others in on it.

**Teal Phoenix:**I 'm glad you enjoyed it! And I didn't know how evil Kuriboh was either! Haha- he was the best monster I could think of for Mokuba, and I thought they had similar hair. Good reason, eh?

**Triva:** Thanks! I hope you keep reading!

**GryphonWonder14: **Hm. I hadn't thought of it that way, but cool! I guess it is disturbing, but you just wait! Kuriboh is one of the better monsters in the story. Some of the other monsters even creep me out. But I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the nice comment!

**BlueFox of the Moon:** He is quite evil isn't he? Well, in comparison to his happy little self on the show. In comparison to some of the other beasts...? Not so much. Keep reading please!

I hope to see you all review again!

Follow me on Twitter! KaelynnD

From this point on, I'm going to be recommending stories by other authors. But the first one has got to be my own, From the Dead. Please take the time to read it and Arose Power!

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**Seto's POV**

I was beginning to get use to the distance between myself and Mokuba. It was hard not to be near him, to have to ask a demon if I can speak with my own brother, but I was getting used to it. We were beginning to work out a system to where I could see Mokuba more, even if I wasn't able to speak with him.

Occasionally, Kuriboh would leave the door to the bedroom open, and if I sat at the table in the kitchen, and Mokuba sat on the bottom portion of the bed, we could see each other. And more than that, we had both taken a course in Morse code a few years back. Neither of us were masters at it, but we knew enough to make a rough conversation. Of course, these conversations were mostly about how annoying Kuriboh was.

I was currently watching Mokuba sitting by Kuriboh, doing absolutely nothing. The beast was content just sitting beside him, but Mokuba was bored.

'This is ridiculous. You would think he would at least let me get up.' Mokuba spelled out.

'Have you asked?' I responded.

'Like six times. He just glares.'

'Sorry. But I've been looking around the sighting reports, apparently monsters have been slowly moving out of Domino.' I tapped, hoping that news would cheer him up a bit.

'Great. Think Kuriboh wants to go with them?' Mokuba asked. I was sure that he was being sarcastic.

'Why don't you offer? It is only polite.'

I watched Mokuba silently chuckle. He looked at me sadly, as if he knew that he would spend the rest of his life with Kuriboh.

'Have you visited the others recently?' He asked.

I shook my head. Mokuba rolled his eyes.

'You really should. They most likely have better information than the Internet does.'

At least, I assumed that was what he said. Mokuba didn't know how to type out a few letters, so he just skipped over what he didn't know.

'I'll go tonight if it makes you happy.' I responded.

Mokuba gave me a small smile. Kuriboh noticed it however and looked over to me. I quickly brought my gaze away from the room, but it was too late.

The door slammed closed.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. I absolutely hated the demon that had taken my brother.

_Be grateful it is one of the smaller ones. _I reminded myself. It could be much worse.

But now I had plans for the night. That was, if the others weren't busy.

I walked over to the computer and opened up a private chat room. I checked to see who all was online and invited them to join me. We quickly started up the conversation.

**KaibaCEO: **Is everyone here?

**BostonBoy: **im on moneybags.

**Dancer2098: **You all most missed me, what's up?

**Britain72: **I believe that we are all here, except for Yami that is.

**KaibaCEO:**Anyway we can get together tonight? Mokuba wants us to catch up.

**Dancer2098: **I can get out. But only for a few hours, my parents don't like me going out for too long. Especially at night.

**Britain72:**Bakura is planning on doing something tonight. I can't get away. Sorry.

**KaibaCEO: **Wheeler?

**BostonBoy: **im game. Eh wheres trist??

I groaned at Wheeler's terrible typing. But I had learned a while ago that if I brought it up, it would only cause more problems. And I had to be nice for Mokuba's sake. I didn't want to bother him, he had enough problems.

**Dancer2098: **Probably afk. It says he is online.

**KaibaCEO: **Anyway, you can't come here. The furball won't leave. Where should we meet?

**Britain72 signs off.**

**BostonBoy: **well thnx 4 sayin bye kura..!

**Dancer2098: **If you came to my house, I could talk longer.

I laughed. Nothing would stop Tea from talking. Maybe we shouldn't meet at her house.

**BostonBoy: **tat sounds good! Wat do you tink moneybags??

**KaibaCEO: **Fine. But I can't stay long. I live a good bit away from your house Tea, and I will have to walk there and back.

**Dancer2098: **Alright! Just come over whenever you can. Kaiba, can I assume you will get here late?

**KaibaCEO: **I'll be there an hour or two after sunset.

**KaibaCEO signs off.**

I didn't like using chat rooms, but we had found that most people generally stay logged on. That was the best way to talk to everyone at once.

I wish that I could get Mokuba a computer for his room, but I don't think Kuriboh would allow it.

So I waited until the sun went down. During that time, I took a shower and ate dinner. And even after the sun set, I waited. I needed to be completely sure that all the day beasts had gone, and I hadn't exactly figured out when that was.

Before I left, I walked to Mokuba's room to tell him that I would be leaving for the night.

"Hey kiddo, I'm going to leave for a while."

I didn't think that I would ever see a happier look in Kuriboh's eyes.

"All right. Have fun Seto." Mokuba said, sounding a bit happier than I would have liked.

I didn't like to think about the fact that Mokuba was only locked in that room while I was home. It was a difficult balance for me. I wanted to be near him, but when I was home, Mokuba was confined to that one place. Whenever I left, he would get to move around the house. Kuriboh didn't trust me, or like me, so he tried to keep Mokuba from me the best he could.

"Anything you want me to tell them?"

Mokuba thought about it for a while. "Nothing really, just find out what you can."

I waved my goodbye and left. As I walked out, I did a quick check in the mirror making sure I hadn't forgotten to wear dark clothing. It wouldn't fool any monster nearby, but I would be harder to spot from a distance.

I grabbed my key off the table by the door and exited the house, locking it behind me.

The street was silent. And even though it was quiet, if I looked hard enough, I could see people moving about. I knew that they were all in danger, but at the same time, they had to get food for their families. Someone had to leave the house to get necessary supplies.

I mimicked the others on the street and tried to move invisibly. The trip I was starting would take a while, and personally, I didn't want to make it. But since Mokuba asked, I would. It was the least I could do.

The route I normally took to get to Tea's house involved a lot of turning and twists. I knew that monsters didn't really consider the main roads to be the best method of travel, but I still preferred to avoid them. However, nothing was really safe, creatures tended to chose odd locations for their homes. I never could tell where they were hiding, so I played it safe and chose the roads I knew didn't have beasts on them.

"Hide!"

I heard the hushed whisper before I saw the person who spoke. I didn't question the order, but immediately knelt down against a staircase. Soon after I had done that, a group of monsters walked by. But they didn't move away.

The leader of the pack, a wolf, I wasn't sure what monster it was, turned to his followers. Barking a command, I watched in shock as the group disappeared in a flash of light, only to come back seconds later. As humans.

I didn't know that beasts could transform into different forms. And just thinking about them becoming human scared me. How could we tell them apart? Did that mean that any stranger was now a threat?

"Hello?" The leader called out. He walked around the street, peering into the alleys and around corners. I wasn't sure what he was looking for, but I could only hope that he found it before he saw me.

"I need help, is anyone there?" He continued to call. I watched as his pack smirked.

The boy who had called out to me was hidden behind a garbage can. It was probably the worst hiding place on the street, but there was no way that he could move now. We were just a few feet from the beasts, and sound would alert them that someone was there.

"Come now, slave, you can't continue to run away like that. It only makes me angry." The leader called out, changing his tone. The rest of the pack began to spread out to search for the run-away boy. It wasn't long before they found him.

When he was pulled from his hiding place, the beast who found him dragged him back to the leader. The boy was forced to his knees before him.

The leader hit him hard across the face.

"I am growing tired of this, slave. Running away is pointless, but yet you insist upon trying?"

The boy, who I guessed was around ten, started to cry. But the leader didn't show any sympathy. Pulling his hand back, he struck him once again.

"We are through with your games child." He then turned to a member of his pack. "Get the proper items that are needed to keep the boy at home. I'm sure you can find something in this city."

The boy was then pulled to his feet, and the leader took hold of his neck.

"Ready to go home, slave?"

The boy shook his head, but the leader just laughed as they walked back down the street.

I waited until I couldn't hear anything. Then a few more minutes. All I could think about was Mokuba being in that boy's situation. Being chosen by Kuriboh no longer seemed so terrible. The furball only wanted Mokuba's undivided attention, he didn't use him as a slave.

I wanted to chase after that boy, to rescue him and take him home, but I knew that I would most likely get myself killed. It killed me to let that creature take the small boy with him.

The rest of the trip to Tea's was uneventful, but I didn't care. My thoughts remained on what I had seen. If beasts could turn into humans, why weren't they all walking around pretending to be us? And why hadn't Kuriboh changed into one this whole time? Wouldn't that be a lot easier than remaining in his current form?

I puzzled over these things until I reached my destination. Tea's house was just off on of the more used side roads, and as I walked over to it, I could see a few people milling about.

Knocking, I waited for someone to open the door. It wasn't long before Tea's mother opened it for me.

"Mrs. Gardner." I greeted.

"Kaiba, please come in quickly." She said, holding the door open just long enough for me to step in. She locked it quickly behind me.

"Joey and Tea are in her bedroom. Can I get you something to drink?" She offered.

"No thank you."

I left her then to walk down the hallway to Tea's bedroom. It was easy to spot, and if I hadn't known which room she slept in, I would have been able to guess without looking inside.

The walls were such a bright pink that if she had a light on in the room, it would project a pink glow into the hallway. It was haunting, or at least, it gave the illusion of being haunted.

I walked into the haunted room.

The two teens that I was meeting were both sitting on Tea's bed. I noticed that Wheeler had also worn dark clothing for his trip across town.

"Hey moneybags." Wheeler said when I entered.

I didn't feel like telling him that I wasn't so rich anymore. KaibaCorp was no longer in business, so I had no income. Just the money I managed to get out of the bank. But Wheeler knew this, he just enjoyed using the old nickname.

"How is Mokuba doing?" Tea asked.

I took a seat at her desk before answering. "He is doing as well as can be expected. Mostly he is just bored."

Tea nodded as if she understood. I knew that she was trying to empathize, but it wasn't going to work. She had never been in a situation like the one Mokuba was dealing with, the best she could do was imagine.

"Anything new going on with you two?" Tea asked, changing the subject quickly.

"I found twenty bucks lyin' on the street." Joey said proudly while pulling out his wallet to show us his find.

"Impressive." I stated.

Joey didn't appreciate my sarcasm. "Well then Kaiba, what is goin' on wit' ya?"

I pretended to contemplate my answer. "Oh, I simply found out that at least some of the beasts can take human form."

The others' eyes went wide. Apparently, this was new to them as well. I at least hoped that it was, if they had all ready known this information and kept it from me, I would be very angry.

"Are you serious?" Tea asked. I nodded.

My attention was drawn to the computer when I heard a ring come from it. Tea screamed in excitement. "Yami is online! Quick, he won't have long!"

I spun around in the desk chair and opened up the chat room. Tea had all ready received an invite, which I accepted.

**DuelKing1: **Tea, are you there?

I quickly typed out a response. Both Tea and Joey moved to stand behind me, reading my words as I typed them up.

**Dancer2098: **Yes, but this is Kaiba. I'm at Tea's house. Wheeler says hello.

**DuelKing1: **The magician just stepped out, I'm not sure how long he will be out, so I'm only going to be on for a moment. Kaiba, you will know better than Tea I'm sure, has anything been done to put an end to all of this?

**Dancer2098: **So far? The government is looking for weapons to destroy the beasts. Unfortunately, they can't do anything on a large scale because of the people being held hostage.

**DuelKing1: **So nothing. That is all that I needed to know. I dislike not being able to talk to you friends.

I rolled my eyes, nearly typing out a sarcastic response, but Wheeler pushed on my chair and took my place in front of the keyboard.

**Dancer2098: **hey pal!! we miss ya 2!

**DuelKing1: **Hello Joey. Is anything important going on there?

**Dancer2098: **bsides us just findin out tat these creeps can be human??

There was a gap in the conversation. We all waited in silence for Yami to type out his response. But it took him a few minutes, so long in fact that I thought his monster had caught him on the computer. However, he did eventually respond.

**DuelKing1: **They can become human?

**Dancer2098: **yea they can! Kaiba here saw it happen/

**Dancer2098: **.

**DuelKing1: **Kaiba, what exactly happened?

I looked to Wheeler, who backed away from the keyboard to let me type again.

**Dancer2098: **I was on my way over to Tea's house when I saw a group of wolves coming down the street. Then, in a flash of light, they changed into a human form. Were you aware they could do that?

**DuelKing1: **I hear something.

**DuelKing1 signs off.**

"Terrible timing." Wheeler muttered, moving back to the bed. He laid out on his back, staring at the ceiling. I could hear his groans of anger, but I couldn't make them out. His accent seemed to get stronger when he was angry.

"Well, that wasn't really helpful." Tea said before moving to her bed, but sitting on the edge, the only part of the bed Wheeler wasn't occupying.

"At least ya talked to 'im." Wheeler said, trying to make the best of the situation.

I didn't speak. I needed Yami to stay on for just a few more minutes. Then I could have found out a bit more about the beasts. After all, Yami did have one of the more human of them, maybe I could get more insight than I had with Kuriboh.

"So, where does that leave us? We know some new information, but just a hint of it." Tea stated, looking to me for answers.

"What we know is this: It is obviously a secret the beasts want to keep, otherwise we would know about it by now. Also, when they are human, they can do everything we can. The main wolf I saw was speaking to the others in his pack."

I chose to leave out the information about the boy the wolf had been after. It wasn't necessary for either of these two to hear about it, and it would only bother me to tell them.

"They could pretend to be us?" Tea asked in shocked.

"To the best of my knowledge, yes."

"Wat does tat mean for us?" Wheeler asked, sitting up on the bed to look at me.

"It means that they can walk around and pretend to be human, interact with us without our knowing. It means that we can't trust anyone we meet, because not everyone out there is human."

I considered over my own words. That left only a handful of people that I could trust. And I didn't much like the few that I could. Yugi's gang were the only people I still knew in Domino, so many of the others had been killed.

"Is there anything we can do about it? No, that wouldn't work. We can't tell them from normal people." Tea said, obviously working out the details in her mind. I had learned to ignore her whenever she was just speaking aloud to think things over.

"How about we think it over later?" I said, deciding that a new subject was in order. "Until then, Mokuba wanted to know how you all have been. Anything significant I should tell him?"

We spent the next few hours discussing events in our lives. The topics ranged from Wheeler losing his deck -which I didn't really mind, we had enough monsters to put up with- to Tea's shopping location getting overrun. It was all pointless drabble, but Mokuba would take any new information. I needed stories to keep him occupied with.

When I decided that I had to get home, I said goodbye and left the room. In all honesty, I probably had at least another hour before I had to go, but I didn't like pushing myself to get home before the sun came up. I tended to take more risks when that was the case. Thus, I left around five, nodding my respect to Tea's parents before taking my leave.

I went down the same path on the way home, my only detour was around the street that I had seen the pack of wolves. I doubted that they would be back, but I didn't mind being careful. Getting this news to Mokuba was very important.

I ran part of the way, any time I was sure that I was alone on the street. But as soon as I saw another figure, I went back to a normal pace. Occasionally, I would have to hide as a creature passed by, but I didn't see any of them change into a human. If I hadn't been so positive about what I saw earlier, I wouldn't believe that it was possible. Why didn't they do it more often?

The streets of Domino were a depressing sight. Houses and stores were boarded up, no windows were open; the people had confided themselves to hidden lives. The people that were still alive that is. Seto remembered the first few days after the monsters had arrived. The streets had been littered with the bodies of people who tried to fight them off. Others had been killed for sport by the more evil of the beasts. However, once the monsters discovered that the bodies kept the people inside their houses, they moved them to draw more people out.

They were all looking for their chosen one.

I had a theory that I couldn't prove. But a while back, I was trying to decide how the monsters knew who they wanted, or if the person they were looking for was even nearby. What if a beast was in Domino looking for a person in Italy? How could they find that one person in such a large world?

There had to be some sort of attraction. The monsters must be able to get a feel for a person, to be able to tell if they were close. There was no other explanation, unless the monster chose someone at random. I didn't think that was the case. Yami had been chosen by the Dark Magician, a monster that he had a strong attraction to before these events. From my research, Zoa had been one of Bandit Keith's cards. Not that I knew exactly how fond of it he had been, but there was a connection.

I still hadn't figured out Kuriboh. That one didn't make much sense to him. Mokuba didn't duel. Of course, the general population of the world didn't, maybe those who didn't have a strong draw were chosen at random.

However it worked, I knew that the particular monster looking for me was dangerous. If the Blue-Eyes was a deadly beast in a game, then I couldn't imagine the real version.

When I got back to the house, I turned the corner to see if it was safe to enter. However, I noticed right off that there was a demon dog at the door. It spotted me and began to growl. I didn't move closer, but slowly reached into my pocket for the key.

"Hi. Can I come in?" I asked, cautiously considering each word.

The dog crouched down as if it were about to attack me. His lips were pulled back in a snarl as he growled at me. I took that as a no.

"I live here. Look," I said, pulling the key out of my pocket and holding it out to him. "This is the key to the house."

The dog shook his head as if disagreeing with me.

"This is my house." I insisted. "I live here with my brother and Kuriboh. Do you know Kuriboh?"

I received a puzzled expression as my response. But the growling stopped, which I took to be a good sign. Maybe the beast was beginning to believe me.

Why was he here?

I hadn't thought of that before. It seemed to understand when I said Kuriboh, but why was he guarding the house?

Unless he wasn't guarding it, he was acting as a keeper. His job was most likely to make sure Mokuba didn't come out.

"Is Kuriboh gone? Is that why you are here? If that is the case, you can let me in. If I'm lying, he can deal with me when he gets back." I offered, thinking that I made a valid point.

I took a hesitant step towards the door, testing how much trust I had gained. The dog kept his eyes on me and didn't move, but he also didn't attack.

When I was about a foot away from him, I turned to the door, gently sliding my key in the lock, but I found that I didn't need it. The door was unlocked. I didn't think it would be a problem, who would try to break in with that beast at the door?

I didn't lock it behind me, as not to upset Kuriboh. I laid the keys on the table and took off my shoes. If Kuriboh wasn't here, I could actually talk to Mokuba in person.

I went to the room in the back to find Mokuba asleep on the bed. Even though I hated to wake him up, I knew this might be my only chance to talk to him without tapping out my message from across the hall.

"Mokie." I said, gently shaking him until I saw him coming to. "Wake up kiddo."

It took him a few minutes to completely wake up, but when he was up, a large smile spread across his face.

"Seto! Hey, I hoped that you would get back before it did!"

He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight for a few moments. After he pulled back, Mokuba moved to sit next to me.

"So, how was your visit?" He asked, truly interested for every detail I had.

I decided to start with the most important news.

"Mokuba, has Kuriboh ever turned into a human?"

Mokuba raised an eyebrow. He didn't try to hide the confused expression on his face.

"Well no. That isn't possible." Then he paused, taking in my question again. A few seconds later, he looked up at me, horror evident in his eyes.

"Please tell me it can't turn into a human." He asked, clearly referring to Kuriboh.

"Don't get worried, if he hasn't by now, I doubt that he can. But I did see a group of beasts that could become humans."

The horror stayed plastered on Mokuba's face. I didn't blame him, I was terrified myself, but I was trying to keep the expression of fear hidden.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

I nodded. "I was hiding on the street when they walked down it. In a flash of light, the beasts disappeared and were replaced with human forms."

Mokuba tilted his head in confusion.

"Why were you hiding?"

I went on to explain about the boy telling me to hide and how the leader of the wolves had taken him. I didn't leave out any detail, even the one about the boy being the beast's slave.

"Monsters are using people as slaves?"

I didn't get a chance to answer. Mokuba's eyes left me and traveled to the doorway. I didn't need to follow his gaze in order to know who was there.

Stepping off the bed, I backed away from my brother. Kuriboh flew to stare me in the eyes as he backed me into a corner. When I couldn't move any further and Kuriboh didn't leave, I tried to talk to him.

"Sorry. I will leave you two alone."

When I tried to leave, Kuriboh took his claws and placed one on either side of my neck, holding me in place. He kept glaring at me, waiting for me to do something against him.

All I could think to do was raise my hands in surrender. Hopefully he would realize that I wasn't going to fight him and he would let me go.

"Please, Seto didn't do anything, I asked him to come in." Mokuba lied. He jumped off the bed and ran over to us. I watched him grab onto Kuriboh's fur, pleading with him, softly stroking the beast in an attempt to calm him.

Kuriboh didn't move.

"I'm so sorry, it isn't going to happen again. Seto didn't mean anything and he was just leaving, right Seto?" Mokuba said.

I didn't say anything. Kuriboh wouldn't listen to me, and I knew that my words would only upset him. Mokuba was my only chance. I was overly aware of how sharp the beast's claws were, and how easy it would be for him to slit my throat in this position.

"Kuriboh, please. I am so sorry, please let Seto go. Don't hurt him, please." Mokuba whispered.

This time, Kuriboh took one of his claws away from my neck so he could turn to look at Mokuba. He heat from his glare made me uncomfortable, but I didn't dare do anything.

Mokuba's eyes started to fill with tears. He bit his lip, a sign that he was trying to hold them back.

Kuriboh faced me once again, moving his free claw to my face. In one swift move, he ran it across my cheek, splitting open the skin.

I cringed in pain, but made no move to leave, all though the blood was beginning to drip down.

"No! Please, you've punished him. He won't come back!" Mokuba shouted.

Kuriboh took his claws away and pushed me towards the door. He then raise the hand with my blood on it and held it out as a threat.

I gave a final look to Mokuba before leaving. He mouthed the words, "I'm so sorry."

Kuriboh closed the door behind me.

* * *

So, that is one of the longest chapters I've written in ages. Good job you guys, keep reviewing and you may get a few more of these.

Okay, confession. I absolutely hated the middle part of this chapter. The stupid AIM service was the only way I could think to get all of the characters talking at once! Haha- by the way, do you want to talk to me on AIM? LendingDreams - Send me a message!

Also, this is the last day of my break, so don't expect updates to come this quickly every time. But I will do my best to keep this going! **Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	3. Three

I just went through my story alert list. Wow. I didn't know how many stories I had there! Haha- I had some that hadn't been updated since 2004, some that had been completed years ago, a few that were stupid as dirt and a good number of them I have no memory of adding. Needless to say, I spent quite some time cleaning up.

But, I found such a large number of amazing stories that I left about twenty on there. Know why? Because that is my collection of the greatest stories I have found on this site. Or, I know the author and wanted to be nice, so I left her stuff on there. And there were just a few that hadn't been updated in years, but I just can't give up on them. I loved them so much that I'm certain that some day, the author will decide to complete them.

**j bear**- Haha- getting deep into this aren't you? I'm going to say for now, (this may change) that they can be killed with normal weapons. I'll go into more detail on that later I'm sure. And I don't want to have too many unnecessary characters, so they will only come in if I need them for something. Haha- I don't know if you've read From the Dead-Arose Power, but I killed Malik off in that. . . you may not want me to bring him in.

**BlueFox of the Moon-** I know right? That would freak me out, and it certainly will come into play, in just about all of the following chapters. I think. I haven't written them all yet, so I don't even know! Are all the monsters evil? Haha- well, all of the monsters are concerned with themselves. . . does that make them evil? I think it may, just to make the story interesting. God cards. I have thought about that, still not sure if I want to include them. I may, just not sure yet. And I added you on AIM, don't forget, I'm LendingDreams!

**Teal Phoenix**- Haha- thanks! That was so the only reason I did those two. And you know it is true. Monster. . . Lore? Haha- I have no idea what you mean by that, but I'll try to do some explaining on the whole transforming concept. Don't fret, I will bring it up. Many more times. I still hate AIM talking. I won't be doing it again. Haha.

**Sarah The Queen**- Why thank you. I'm glad to know that you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy this update just as much as the last.

**MyChemicalDarkness**- Haha- Kisara. Yeah. . . I haven't decided if she is the Blue Eyes or not, but I have another chapter to decide. (Hint!) And it won't eat him, where is the fun in that? Haha- Pegasus would be amusing, but he doesn't live in Domino, so I don't know how I could logically get him in the story. Keep Reading!

**GryphonWonder14**- Thanks! And I completely agree, chatrooms are the devil. Or very similar. I'm not going to be using it again. Unless I absolutely have to, but I think I would rather my character just teleport over to the person they need to talk to. And they are doing their best to hide, but never fear, they will get chosen. Or at least, most of them will. Haha- I've picked out monsters for all most all of them. Actually, all but one.

_Looking for a good read? _Real 2 Radical_ by HiKari Mokuba's Guardian_

* * *

Seto's POV

The door stayed shut for the next three days. The only times Mokuba left was to go to the restroom, and even then, Kuriboh followed him there and back. The beast never took his eyes off me when I was in sight, and occasionally threatened me with my blood, which was still coated on his claw.

Mokuba couldn't even look at me without the beast reacting to it. I knew that I had lost any ground that I may have gained with the beast, any trust was now gone. Kuriboh had lost all patience with me.

There were many times during the days that I could hear Mokuba talking. I tried to listen, but he was just talking. He wasn't really saying anything, just random words and stories that came into his head. Maybe that was a way for him to let Kuriboh know that he was paying attention to him. Whatever it was, I didn't get the chance to ask.

I was lying on the couch, waiting for the sun to go down. I had to go out tonight, business on the other end of town. The people of Domino had monthly meetings to talk and discuss the beasts, and I had to attend. After all, I'm still Seto Kaiba, people expect things out of me.

But since the meetings last for so long, I have to leave immediately after sun down, which I didn't like doing. It was too much of a risk, some of the day creatures still wandered the city, but there were also the night creatures just coming out. These meetings usually went all through the night too, so by the time I got back home, the sun was nearing its rise.

If I didn't have to go, I wouldn't. Unfortunately, I couldn't let my fear keep me from responsibilities.

Before I left, I had to give Mokuba his dinner. I did this by grabbing the food, laying it by his door and knocking. Then I walked away so Kuriboh couldn't see me. I didn't say anything or stay to try to talk to my brother. Keeping him fed was more important than my emotions.

As I left the house, I made sure to lock the door behind me.

The walk to the meeting place took me a while, and I had to cross a few streets to get there. That required walking out into the open where I could easily be seen. Staying near the buildings gave me the illusion of cover, all though I knew that even there I wasn't safe.

As I walked, a disturbing thought came into my mind. How would we know that everyone there was human? If the beasts can change into us, why wouldn't they try to sneak into our meetings?

I wasn't sure if the beast would care enough, but the thought was nerve racking. We had no way of identifying who came in and out. The meeting location was kept a secret, but if anyone let it slip, we could be in trouble. There were thousands of beasts who had yet to chose someone, and if my theory was correct, all the ones in Domino that wandered around were getting close.

When it came time to cross the first street, I took my time doing it. There weren't any creatures walking around, and I checked the sky to ensure that nothing was flying above me. I didn't move until I was completely sure that I was alone.

And that was how I traveled to the meeting location. It didn't take more than ten minutes to walk there and as I grew nearer, I could see others coming too. They walked in the same manner that I did, head down, steady pace, quietly; nothing to draw special attention to themselves.

The location of the meeting was a basement off a side street. It use to be a shop of some sort, but I never figured out what they sold. We used it mainly because it was hidden and it had a gate over the door. Nothing had ever interrupted a meeting, but caution was a key factor.

I entered quietly, taking a seat in the back of the room. If it had been any other type of meeting, I would have walked boldly to the front and taken the best seat there, but this wasn't a normal meeting. This wasn't something that I wanted a part of, and I only gave them my presence.

"Kaiba!"

The hushed voice of Ryou was easily recognized. There weren't a great many British people living in Domino.

He took the seat next to me, placing his hands in his lap.

"So, did you have any difficulties getting here?"

Small talk was one of my least favorite activities in existence. It is basically another way of saying that you don't know the person well enough to carry on an actual conversation, so you talk about the most basic topic that comes to mind.

I didn't answer.

"Sorry, I'm not good at starting conversations." Ryou said.

The attempted conversation stopped at that point. Which left the two of us with an awkward silence. We watched people slowly file in the room for a while before I came up with something to say.

"There aren't as many people here as last time. I'd say we have less than half the number that was here last time."

Ryou looked around the room, standing up at one point to count everyone.

"You're right. There are only thirty-four people here. We had eighty-one last month. You don't think that they were all chosen, do you?"

"I doubt it." Then I reconsidered. "I'm not saying that it isn't a possibility, but there are other reasons that people can't be here. Some of them probably did get chosen, but others might be sick, or couldn't get out of the house. I'm sure a few just decided that these are pointless and didn't want to come."

"I believe that I will just assume they couldn't make it. Let's go for the positive outlook, that is really all that we can do." He said with a determined tone.

Just as the meeting was about to start, Wheeler came walking down the stairs. He slid into the seat beside Ryou seconds before the gates were locked. He was panting for breath as Mr. Lincoln stood in front of the group.

"Attention! I'm glad to see that you all could make it out tonight. It hasn't passed our notice that many of our usual members couldn't make it out tonight. Ruth emailed saying that her sons were all sick, so she had to stay with them tonight. Henry had his family staying at his house and didn't want to risk leaving them there. Harmony-"

I wasn't interested in the exact reason that everyone didn't show up. I only listened closely enough to count the number of people who had an excuse. Ten people had a reason for not being here. Running the numbers quickly in my head, I found that thirty-seven people were unaccounted for. That was a good majority of people that might have been chosen.

"Harrison here is going to quickly do an attendance check while I continue with the meeting. First thing on the agenda, the south side trading route has been shut down. This is a temporary situation, and we are currently looking for a new location for it. Do any of you have a place in mind?"

Voices popped up around the room. I didn't pay particular attention to them because something more important had caught my eye. Harrison seemed to be having a problem with attendance. He was staring across the room at something. I followed his gaze to a face that I didn't recognize.

Why was there someone here that I didn't know? For the past few months, it had been the same group of people, and now there was someone new?

Apparently, Harrison was having the same dilemma as me. He was staring at the new man intensely, as if trying to recall his name.

"People! It is just a market location, please don't get so worked up over this. We are looking for a central location. No one is getting an advantage in this arrangement." Mr. Lincoln exclaimed.

"Do either of you recognize the man over there?" I whispered to Wheeler and Ryou. I gestured subtly across the room to the unknown member of the meeting. They both glanced over.

"Nah, has he been to a meetin' before?" Wheeler whispered.

"Not that I can recall. You know him Ryou?"

Ryou shook his head. I then noticed how we were all leaning in so we could speak without being overheard. I leaned back immediately.

"Does it matter who he is?"

I was amazed when Wheeler understood my thought before I spoke them.

"Wha' if he isn't a real man?"

Ryou looked at me with confusion printed on his face. He obviously didn't understand what Wheeler was talking about, and I remembered that he hadn't been at Tea's house for our discussion a few nights back.

"I saw a beast transform into a human last week. I don't know if all of them can, but it is a possibility."

Ryou's expression suddenly shifted from confusion to shock. It was more a mixture of shock and extreme interest.

"That is possible? How can we tell them apart from the rest of us?" He asked, voicing the very question I had been debating in my mind for days.

"I still haven't figured that out, I've only seen it happen once. The few I saw might be the only ones who can." I said.

We stopped talking there, occasionally glancing up at the man across the room. He seemed to be the only person here truly listening to Mr. Lincoln speaking. The man was sitting perfectly straight, staring with an interested expression to the front of the room, nodding in agreement with all Lincoln's statements.

I couldn't figure out what it was about him, but something was off. My first instinct was to blame it on paranoia, which would make sense. Why would it be odd for me to watch for people who I thought might be beasts?

But something wasn't right about him. I immediately ruled out his posture since I took sat in a similar manner. And it wasn't that he cared about the meeting. I usually listened to them too. Something was different and I couldn't decide what it was.

"Now that the store's location has been decided upon, we can move to the next matter. Has anyone heard about this battle going on between the creatures of day and night? Any new information?"

We discussed that matter at each meeting. It was a well known fact that the day and night creatures didn't interact with each other, and people were certain that something would come out of it.

I watched the man's reaction to the information given. He carefully examined each face of every person who brought out new information. No one had anything substantial, just various times and places they had seen different beasts.

"Shouldn't we be writing all of this down?" A voice asked.

"That is a good idea. Mr. Kaiba, there is a box with pencils in it behind you, can you bring them to me?"

I turned around to look for the pencils. There was a shelf up against the wall a few feet behind my chair. I stood up and walked over to it while the discussion continued on.

The shelf was nearly bare. There were just a few items on it, including the pencils. It was apparent that it wasn't used often, and the thick layer of dust that had collected on it served as a reinforcement of that fact.

When I picked up the pencil box off the shelf, dust flew into the air. I found myself holding my breath as I walked to the front so I didn't breath any of it in.

Lincoln gave me a nod as I handed the pencils to him, keeping the meeting going.

When I felt the sharp pain in my eye, I knew that dust had settled on it. As I reclaimed my seat in the back of the room, I tried to remove the dust. I blinked rapidly until the pain stopped.

Blinking.

As inconspicuously as I could, I looked back to the man across the room. That was what was wrong with him, he didn't blink. I examined him for a few minutes until I was certain. He didn't blink. Not once during the entire time I was watching him.

Of course I knew it was possible to go lengths of time without blinking, but people normally didn't just sit around during meetings and try not to blink.

But not blinking wasn't a sign of anything. Maybe I just didn't notice, or he blinked at the same time as me. It could mean nothing at all. I could just be making things up in my head, trying to make more of the situation than there actually was.

I just needed to be rational. That was something that I could do, if I put effort into it. I couldn't lose focus right now. I had to consider the facts.

There was a new man at the meeting. Did that mean anything? He could just be the husband of one of the women who usually attended. Maybe one of the had gotten sick and sent a replacement. That was one explanation that didn't involve beasts. Or he could just be a new member who couldn't make it to a meeting before now. Either of those are logical answers.

He didn't blink. At least, I hadn't seen him blink. Could it be that he just didn't have to blink as much as other people? Perhaps he had some disorder that kept him from blinking. There were other logical reasons for not blinking that didn't include beasts.

For now, those answers would have to do. I refused to jump to ridiculous conclusions just because I was nervous about my situation.

"Kaiba, what happened to your face?" Ryou whispered, bringing my attention back to the room.

"Just a problem at home." I responded, hoping that he would just let it drop. I never really felt like talking about Mokuba and Kuriboh, it just made me angry that I couldn't do anything about it.

"Next on the agenda, the homeless center is getting crowded and we need to move to a larger space. Has anyone seen an available location?"

The homeless center was for all of the people who had been run out of their home by the beasts. It wasn't a safe place to live, especially since there were so many people who hadn't been chosen. If a group of beasts found were the center was located, it could be a disaster.

The man across the room seemed very interested in the new topic. His expression appeared to be one of excitement, like he was learning privileged information.

I fought off the urge to announce my thoughts. Without proof, or even somewhat substantial evidence, it would be foolish of me to try something like that.

But I couldn't stop thinking about the man across the room. I knew something wasn't right about him, but I had no proof. Could I get proof without actually doing anything? I certainly couldn't just walk up to him now and start a conversation with him.

"Uh- Kaiba? Wha' are ya starin' at?"

I brought my gaze to Wheeler, who was leaning over Ryou so he could whisper.

"Nothing, pay attention to the meeting." I answered.

"You still watchin' the new guy? He isn't gonna change here." Wheeler stated.

He was right. Not something that I said too often, but Wheeler had a logical point. If that man was a beast, he wouldn't transform in the middle of the group. He would have a purpose for being here and wouldn't unveil himself so everyone could see. If I wanted to prove anything, I would have to follow him after the meeting, which I knew that I wouldn't have time for. About an hour had passed and Lincoln was barely beginning. This meeting most likely wouldn't be over until several hours had passed. By that time, I had to run to get home before sunrise. Could I risk sneaking around during the day?

The more I considered it, the worse of an idea it became. I couldn't possibly take any serious risks, and going out during the day was the biggest one I could make. My curiosity wasn't nearly as important as Mokuba, and he needed my help.

"Has the west side meeting location opened up yet? Or is it still being used by the Knight family?" Lincoln asked.

I leaned my head back in disgust. This was the worst use of my time I could possible imagine. And I wasn't just wasting my time, I was spending it with Wheeler and Ryou. I didn't even like these people, when did my life come to this?

The meeting went on for another eight hours. The only break lasted around ten minutes, during which time we all stood to walk a few laps around the room. After that, the meeting went on.

I never did figure out how Lincoln came up with enough topics to last all night. Yet, the meeting went on and on. I had sat through the most boring meetings that I could have ever thought possible, but I would sit through all of them over again if I could leave this torture.

To make it even worse, Wheeler insisted upon passing the time trying to start up the worst conversations he could think up.

"Kaiba, ever run a mile in under seven minutes?"

"Moneybags, do ya know how many numbers are between eighty-one and six-thousand seven-hundred and three?"

"Where is Tibet?"

"Do ya still have your deck or did ya ditch it when this crap happened?"

I didn't answer any of his questions. I stared forward at Lincoln and tried to block out Wheeler's voice, to focus on anything else. The bricks on the walls, the ratio of men to women, the number of chairs; anything but Joey Wheeler.

I made a mental list of all the things that Lincoln thought important enough to talk about. Stores, homeless center, dangerous streets, beast sighting, chosen friends, beasts moving, groups leaving Domino, and others that I wasn't listening to carefully enough to remember them. There was a clock on the wall that I found myself staring at to pass the time. Each shift of the smallest hand reminded me that I had one less second to be here.

The thought was only vaguely comforting.

The most interesting part of the meeting was when Lincoln revealed a startling revelation to the group.

"Mr. Parkson killed a beast last week. Martin, can you come to the front and explain what happened to everyone here?"

One of the men in the room got to his feet and strode proudly to stand next to Lincoln. He took his time before speaking, looking across the room to make eye contact with each person. Placing his hands in his pockets, he began to speak.

"I don't normally go out during the day. But when I do, I bring my gun with me. One of those beasts spotted me and chased me down, but I wasn't scared of it."

His story may have been the most interesting part of the meeting, but that wasn't saying too much. The only part that I cared about was how he killed the creature.

"I turned around when I chose my location. I took aim right between that demon's eyes and fired. That seemed to do the trick. That thing fell to the ground and I shot it again, just for the sake of it."

That was all of the story that I listened to. There had been a few rare reports of people who had managed to kill a beast, and from what I had heard, they were all very similar. A shot or hit to the head appeared to be the only way to kill them.

I didn't have any interest in killing the beasts. Maybe Kuriboh, but I wasn't going to go hunting them down. It was just useful information to store away.

When the meeting was over, I didn't waste any time in leaving. All that I could think of was getting home, checking on Mokuba, and going to sleep. Maybe a good nights sleep would make me forget about this horrible meeting.

The man across the room acting naturally as the members of the meeting talked to each other. He joined in the conversations and didn't seem to raise any suspicions with anyone else. Maybe I had just been paranoid the whole time.

Deciding to let the subject drop, I offered a quick goodbye to Wheeler and Ryou and went out before anyone could stop me to further discuss the topics in the meeting.

The walk home seemed to take longer than the meeting itself had taken. I knew that it was just a wave of exhaustion coming over me, but I only could think about getting home. That and sleep.

The streets were crawling with beasts. I had never seen them so packed and busy. What were they doing?

It took me longer to get back home than it had ever taken. I had to wait in hiding until the path was clear, then quickly jump to the next safe location. Most of the time I spent in waiting, the streets being so full I didn't have confidence in my odds to move without being seen.

None of the creatures scared me in particular, none of the more powerful ones were near me. But I still tried to be cautious, even if they weren't the stronger of the beasts, they still had the ability to kill me. And in a group, they were even more lethal.

By the time I got back to my street, the sun was just beginning to make its way onto the horizon. By that time, the night creatures had left, and the day creatures were beginning to come out. I jogged to the door and reached in my pocket for the key.

I froze in horror. There was nothing in my pocket. I never left the house without my key.

I quickly checked again, feeling through all of my pockets, hoping that I might have put it into one of the other pockets by mistake.

But I didn't, there wasn't a key.

I turned around to examine the sun. It was moving quicker than I thought possible, and I knew that I didn't have too much time left. Any minute now, I knew that more beasts would arrive. I had to get in the house.

Doing the only thing I could think of, I began to knock loudly on the door.

"Mokuba! Can you open the door?" I shouting, while continuing to knock.

There was no answer. I kept knocking, shouting louder and louder. I wasn't going to give up, not now. There was still a chance that Mokuba would hear me and open the door.

After a few minutes, I stopped knocking. He had to have heard me by now, so why wasn't he coming?

The thought that Kuriboh might have been keeping him back only occurred to me when I saw movement inside one of the windows. Since I wasn't inside, the curtains were still open and I could see through the windows.

Kuriboh was near one of them, staring at me. I didn't see Mokuba, so I assumed that he was in the back. But Kuriboh just stood there, watching me through the window.

"Can you unlock the door?" I called out, certain that he could hear me. A corner of his mouth twitch slightly, as if he was holding back a smirk.

That demon was keeping me locked out. He moved over to the table where I keep my keys and pointed to them.

"Yes, I realize that I left them there. Can you please just open the door?"

Kuriboh gave me one final smirk and closed the curtains. I stood there in shock for a brief moment. I knew that the beast hated me living there, but I never considered him going out of his way to keep me out.

I leaned my head against the door, trying to decide what to do. I could get angry later, now I needed to find a place to hide during the day.

Before I could come up with a decision, I was spun around quickly as a sword was pressed to my throat. A hand came forward quickly and pushed me into the door.

I examined the monster that attacked me. It was one that I recognized, the Flame Swordsman. I considered myself lucky that his sword wasn't on fire, but that was the extent of my good fortune. He didn't speak to me at first, we just stood in the same position. Me with his sword to my throat, and him examining me carefully.

This situation couldn't get any worse.

Or at least, that is what I thought initially. In the distance, I heard a familiar roar that proved me wrong.

* * *

Ta Da!

Sorry for the gap in updates. Classes just started back, and I'm still adjusting to my new schedule. The next chapter is going to be fun to write, I hope, so it shouldn't be so long in the making.

Leave me a review?


	4. Four

Hey everyone! I just wanted to say that I am really amazed by the response this has gotten so far! Really, it is amazing. I never would have thought that I would get a response for a story like this one. So please, keep it up!

**BlueFox of the Moon **– Haha- I am all for throwing rocks. I got so mad at Kuriboh when I wrote that! But it did have to happen to get the plot moving. And you'll see what happens shortly!

**j bear**- I like that record. It is greatly appreciated, you should make an even better record by reviewing every chapter! Answering your questions: No, the Flame Swordsman is not the guy from the meeting, nor is he working with the Blue Eyes. And Kisara. If she is the dragon, then she won't have the same personality. I mean, Kuriboh is evil, and he is a cute little monster on the show. You should read the other story and leave me a review there too. Haha- it is worth it!

**Teal Phoenix-** I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. . . ish. Haha- It had to happen, and I don't want people to stop reading because they are bored! And thus, I leave you in suspense. Because I left you in suspense, I give you another chapter. Yes, Kuriboh is mean.

**Happyfish**- Glad to have you reading along! And the point of the story is that the Blue Eyes gets him, so it will happen. . . eventually. Or soon. Who knows? Yugi is dead, I think that I said that in the first chapter. And Marik, Yami Marik and Yami Bakura don't have roles as of now. I'm not sure if they will. And is the magician dark magician? Haha- I don't know what that means!

**SweetSnow01**- Welcome to Possessions! Glad to see you enjoy it enough to review. And a few people have mentioned Kisara and I've been considering it. And I believe that I have come up with a wonderful solution to that debate. However, you will just have to wait and see.

**GryphonWonder14**- I'm glad that you are excited because I'm excited too! Haha- I really wanted to write this chapter sooner, but I am working on another story and I have classes. So the weekend is the only open time I have. And I'm trying to make my chapters longer than I normally do. Which is why this one took longer to update.

**Liondancer17- **Glad to see that you are enjoying it! Keep reading please!

**Kimiko1086- **Welcome to the Possessions fan group! Haha- I hope you keep reading and reviewing, and sorry for the long space between updates. Classes are insane this semester!

**Cayannamon- **I love this story too! Haha- Yes, Kuriboh is quite evil. . . for a wad of fur.

**Inkwell**- Um. . . Wow? Haha- I've never had anyone tell me something like that before. So, I'm pretty excited right now. And I really like this idea too. I hate that it has taken me so long to update. Classes are getting really hectic, but I have this week off, and thus, an update! (By the way, I realize that isn't your username, but for some reason, it wouldn't let me put the actual thing... curious.)

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**Seto's POV**

The sunrise was a gorgeous shade of orange. I didn't normally watch the sun as it rose, but today was the first exception I had in quite some time.

It was really a subconscious thought. The sunrise was the last of my concerns. The long red blade pressed against my throat was on the front of my mind. The beast standing in front of me, glaring at me, was a close second.

I didn't know too much about this particular monster. I recalled dueling against him when Wheeler and I dueled. But aside from that, I had no idea why he was so seemingly angry with me.

That is when I remembered my idea about human beasts being able to speak. I hadn't been able to verify it with Yami, and now seemed like as good a time as any.

"Can I do something for you?" I said, slowly speaking the words with the hope that I wouldn't offend him.

"No."

The single word answered my question. The beast could speak, but his simple answer made me think that he didn't do so frequently.

"Then, why the sword?"

The words sounded stupid when I said them, but I had to say something. I couldn't just stand here and wait for him to let me go.

It seemed like it took too long for him to respond. When he finally did, I decided that I would have rather he didn't answer.

"To prevent you from escaping."

I didn't answer immediately. I got distracted by the sound of a roar, one that was much louder than the previous one.

I wasn't alone in my distraction. The monster seemed to hear it as well, and paused to listen to it.

"Move."

The monster reached out to grab onto my arm and pull me away from the door. He still held the sword against me, just moving it away from my neck to cross my chest.

It was apparent that he was running away. From his manner of walking to his fast steps, he was trying to escape. He was acting in the same way that I usually did when I was trapped outside and the sun was rising. Before now, I didn't consider other beasts being afraid of the same dragons that I feared.

I couldn't make up my mind whether or not I should try running. I didn't understand what this particular beast wanted with me. Certainly I hadn't just been chosen, there was no possible way that it was him. The irony of the situation would be overwhelming if all this time I had been hiding, it was from the wrong beast.

The roars grew louder, until soon, they sounded as if they were coming from over my head. And as the dragon's roar grew louder, the Flame Swordsman's steps grew faster.

Eventually we were running. Which was a more difficult feat than I would have imagined. With the sword, his grip on my arm, and the impending threat of a dragon attacking, it was nearly impossible to move.

The Flame Swordsman took a sharp turn into an alleyway. He pulled me along with him, and there we hid.

"What do you want with me?" I whispered, in the hopes that he might answer if I wasn't drawing too much attention.

He glared at me.

I was a business man. It was part of my job to read people, and this beast wasn't too different than the people I was use to dealing with. His glare wasn't one of anger, but more of annoyance. As if he didn't want to hear me speak anymore.

However, I wasn't the sort to just give up without a battle. If he didn't want to give up the information so easily, then I would simply have to keep pushing.

The dragon's roar was the loudest yet, and that gave me an idea.

"I'm going to keep talking until you tell me what you are doing with me. I wonder how close that dragon has to get before it can hear me."

The sword was pressed against my neck, but I didn't flinch. I knew that keeping my composure was going to be essential in order to make this beast tell me what his plan was.

"So, what will it be?" I asked, increasing the volume of my voice.

The beast turned to stare at the sky. His eyes anxiously searched for the source of the roars, but there wasn't anything in his line of sight.

"I have friends who will be interested in you. Now, keep silent."

I didn't know who his friends could be. I didn't care. All I knew is that I had a few moments to get away or I would be found. Either way was a bad end result.

I obeyed his command and kept quiet. Neither of us talked for a few minutes, and that was when I noticed that the roars had come to a complete stop. The Flame Swordsman held me in the alley for a while longer, but when he didn't hear any sound, he decided to move.

The moment we stepped into the street, I could tell something was wrong. If I wasn't being held by the Swordsman, I would have looked around. Something was off, but I couldn't figure it out.

"Stop."

The single word forced the Flame Swordsman to come to a halt. The word was powerful. It held a power behind it that scared me.

"Give him to me."

The Swordsman spun around, but kept his hold on me. However, I got to see who was standing several yard down the road.

A man with white hair stood boldly across from us. His eyes were a piercing blue. So bright that they seemed to glow. He was tall, and even from a distance, I could see that he was taller than me. His overall appearance was intimidating, and I could feel the Swordsman's fear.

"You are too late Krin," the Swordsman answered.

The man didn't take his eyes off of me. All though he was speaking to my captor, his focus was on me.

"I won't ask again."

The sudden revelation hit me. I was in shock that it took me so long to figure out who the man in front of me was. His timing in his appearance should have been my first clue, followed by his physical features.

The Blue-Eyes was able to turn into a human.

The Swordsman's hesitation was evident. Obviously, the Blue-Eyes was stronger than him. However, I couldn't judge a beast that I knew nothing about. Perhaps he was arrogant and didn't believe that anyone could defeat him.

"I told you that you were too late. I've all ready decided to take this one. Find another."

The Blue-Eyes didn't move. His face remained the same, more calm than I would have imagined. For being defied, he didn't get upset or even show signs that his demands had been ignored.

"Your way then," was all he said.

The sword was pulled closer against me. I tried not to flinch away from it. The Swordsman wouldn't be killing me, so I knew that I need not worry about that.

The Blue-Eyes lifted one hand in the air. It was a slow motion, almost as if he was waiting for the Swordsman to change his mind.

But there was no word from the beast holding a sword to me. It could have been fear or pride that kept him still. But either way, I was curious to see what was about to happen.

The Blue-Eyes' hand stopped when it was completely extended in front of him. His palm faced towards us, fingers pulled back. During this time, his face remained even.

A light flowed from his hand. There was no gradual growth, but a sudden appearance of brightness. I had to close my eyes against it for a moment, but then I decided that I had to see what he was about to do.

Squinting, I managed to keep my eyes open enough to watch what was taking place. The light had transformed into streaks of lightning. They crackled as they shot out of his hand, only to fade out as they disappeared from sight.

I was no stranger to this ability. After all, I had fought with the dragon since I had begun my career in duel monsters. This was the best known attack of the Blue-Eyes, his white lightning.

"You can't shoot me with that. That is, if you don't want this one to get injured," the Swordsman stated.

But the Blue-Eyes didn't pull back. Instead, he did the exact opposite. The lightning grew stronger, branching out further distances and making contact with objects around on the street. Occasionally, it would make contact with a street lamp or a power line, causing an explosion. They distracted the Swordsman, but I kept my eyes on the dragon.

I could see that he was bluffing. It was impossible for him to hit the Swordsman without hitting me as well. So unless he didn't actually care about me staying alive, he wasn't going to attack. But this display of power might be enough to scare off the Swordsman.

The sword began to fall slowly. The lightning display seemed to be doing its job. One of the streams of light shot out and hit a few feet away from us, and that rattled the Swordsman. He pulled to sword completely back, and stepped away from me.

"He isn't worth the trouble," he muttered, continuing to back away.

I just stood where I was. Not out of fear, but the street was now full of the lightning, moving from my position might get me killed.

I watched the Blue-Eyes' face for a sign that the Swordsman was gone. I didn't find my clue in his eyes. After a few moments, the lightning disappeared completely, just as suddenly as it had come.

But I still didn't move. I knew that I couldn't get anywhere. I was standing across from a dragon, the very dragon that I had been avoiding since this whole ordeal began. And now, I had lost. I know that I wouldn't be able to run faster than the dragon could fly, and I certainly couldn't avoid the lightning if he decided to use that to stop me.

He didn't speak. Moving over to me slowly, he examined me head to toe. His eyes lingered on the cut across my face. A frown appeared, then immediately disappeared, on his face.

"Will you walk with me?" he asked.

It almost seemed like a rhetorical question. My answer almost too obviously to be stated, but I responded anyways.

"Is there another option?" I said, trying to hide the note of sarcasm in the words.

"There is always a second option," he stated.

Of course the second option was to try to escape, then probably being forced to follow him once I was caught. The first option held a bit of dignity with it, and was the one I chose.

We walked down the road for a while. I was surprised that I didn't find more beasts walking about. The few that I did see turned when they saw us, and I began to think that most were in hiding. Other creatures of light stayed on the street, but off to the side. I assumed that they stayed off the street out of respect, while the others hid out of fear.

The Blue-Eyes seemed to know where he was going. I could only imagine that he was walking for my benefit. If he had a goal location in mind, it seemed easier for him to simply fly there. But since I was here, walking was the better choice, for my sake.

So we walked across town. We took one turn after another, and we ended up in a location that I was very familiar with.

The KaibaCorp building loomed over me. It brought back so many memories, most that I tried to push out of my mind. I stared up at it, taking in the building that I hadn't seen since the beasts invaded. KaibaCorp was so large, it attracted lots of attention, and that was something I decided to avoid. So I left it behind, vowing not to return until this was over. That is, if it ever ended.

"Step back," he ordered, and I did as I was told. When I got around twenty feet away, he gestured that I had moved far enough.

He closed his eyes. The white lightning that he had demonstrated before now surrounded him. It grew larger and brighter until he was completely out of my sight, replaced with a large column of the lightning. The column grew wider and taller, growing until I heard a roar from inside.

It quickly faded out, revealing the true form of the Blue Eyes.

My holograms never had captured the true essence of this beast. They seemed like childish drawings in comparison to the real thing. The dragon was much larger, almost twice the size that I had expected. His scales didn't just reflect light, but they seemed to be the source of light. Even in the shade of the building, his scales shimmered.

He stared at me. His eyes were the lightest shade of blue that I could have imagined. They almost blended into the white of his eyes, giving off the illusion that they were completely white.

I wasn't sure what I was suppose to do. In this form, he couldn't speak to me, so I stayed still. Only this time, fear might have been a contributing factor to my decision not to move.

I didn't have to wait long. After a few seconds, the dragon moved closer to me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw his tail coming forward as well. I figured out what he was doing just seconds before it happened.

His tail wrapped around my waist. It was a tight grip, so tight in fact, that I couldn't take a complete breath. However, once he jumped into the air, I was thankful that I was secured in his grip.

He flew in circles around the building, moving higher with each rotation. In just a few moments, we had reached the top.

He landed gently on the roof, and once my feet were touching its surface, he let me go.

I was standing near to the edge, which was eighty stories in the air. I stepped away from the drop off, moving closer to the center.

In the years that I had worked at KaibaCorp, I had only been on the roof a few times. And these times were only to get on my helicopter, which was usually parked up here.

It was a large area. Almost completely flat, the exceptions being the doorway and the air, heating, and electrical units. The Blue-Eyes had plenty of space to move around in the dragon form, but just as he had become a dragon, he transformed back into a human.

"Come over here," he ordered.

He lead me to the doorway that was located in the middle of the roof. I was then told to sit down.

I leaned against the door, regretting the fact that I didn't have a coat with me. Down on the ground, the temperature was an average day in August. But on the roof, hundreds of feet in the air, it was much colder. The winds up here were much stronger than they had been on the ground and with the wind came the cold air. I tried not to let the temperature affect me, so I tried to focus on something else.

The roof had clearly been used by the dragon. There were long scratches across every surface, dents on the vents that stuck up from the floor. There was a particular corner that I chose not to look at. That seemed to be where he did most of his eating, and remains of his meals were scattered about.

He stood on the edge of the roof across from me. He kept complete silence, standing completely still. It seemed to me like he was waiting for something, but I didn't have any guesses as to what it could be. I debated whether or not I should speak, but no acceptable topics came to mind. The last thing I wanted was to anger this particular beast.

And so, the time passed by. Neither of us moved for quite a while. I didn't have anyway to measure the time, but I guessed that it was around an hour.

I was tired. I hadn't slept last night, and only a few hours yesterday. But I didn't let myself fall asleep. I had to know what he was waiting for, and after that hour had passed, I discovered what it was.

I wasn't expecting the roar. The Blue-Eyes was in front of me, still in human form. And the sound I heard was as loud as his had been every other time I heard it. This was the cry of a Blue-Eyes.

In the distance, I saw two figures flying towards the roof. They were moving quickly, reaching the roof in minutes.

Two more Blue-Eyes landed beside the original. They two disappeared in a column of lightning, reappearing as humans.

"Welcome home sisters."

* * *

All right. I just want to start off by saying how INCREDIBLY sorry I am that this took so long. I could not figure out how I wanted to write this scene, and I procrastinated. I can put all the blame I want on classes, but the truth is, I have been working on my book instead. From here on out, I will do my best to update more often. And this chapter is shorter than the others, but longer than I am use to writing. I hope you enjoyed it!

Please review!


	5. Five

Hey guys! You know, this is a whole lot harder to write than I thought it would be. I want to make sure that I get it right, but without a lot of time, it gets harder. So. . . Hope you like it!

**Teal Phoenix- **I was dancing too! And I appreciate the doll, even if it isn't as awesome as a Blue-Eyes plushie. And you know, I haven't decided about the fourth Blue-Eyes. I have been considering it, but if I do decide to add it, it will come in much later on. Thanks for the review!

**Seto K4iba1- **I had debated the genders of all the Blue-Eyes. And I used to consider them all girls, but then I decided that throwing a boy in the mix would make it more interesting. Haha- you read Arose Power? That is great! I'm glad to see that people still like that story.

**Cayannamon- **Thanks! Glad you are enjoying it!

**Liondancer17- **Well, I love hearing that it is original! Who doesn't want their story to be unique?

**AyaseFanGirl- **Welcome aboard! And please continue spreading the word about this. I appreciate all the fans I can get. Hope to see you later on!

**j bear- **Stay interested. Haha- this is the best turn out I've ever received for a story. And you will be getting a taste of how the Blue-Eyes will be treating Seto in this chapter. Enjoy!

**Happyfish- **Yes, poor Seto. And Yugi is dead. . . I think I've said that a few times. But yes, the Dark Magician wants, and has, Yami. Keep reading!

**se-tar- **Thanks! I hope to keep seeing you around!

**PerennialOutlander- **Why thank you. It was well played wasn't it? Thanks for reading!

**???- **Well, here it is.

**Sonic Light- **Thanks! And by the way, you didn't misspell anything. Good job.

**Shinryu-Twilight Dragon- **You know, I usually like third person better than first. But I find fanfiction easier to write in first person. And wow, you must be a prophet. One of the dragons does love him! Haha- hope to hear from you in the future.

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**Seto's POV**

The roof was a thousand feet in the air. It was August, which normally was one of the warmer months. However, at this altitude, it was freezing. The winds were at a much higher speed, and the air had a bite to it.

I didn't have a coat, when I left the house yesterday, I hadn't considered needing one. But now, I really wished that I had warmer clothing on.

I was leaning on the door that lead inside KaibaCorp. The three dragons were across from me, all in human form. They were all standing close together, very close in fact. As they laughed among themselves about some unknown joke, I watched in silence.

The two girls were nearly identical. They both had long white hair that reached to their lower back and eyes the same color as their brother's. The girls were shorter than their brother, but both of equal height to each other. All were slender, and appeared to be in perfect physical condition. I couldn't stop staring at them.

But they didn't seem to notice me. I wasn't sure if this was part of their personality, or if they just didn't see me sitting there. Either way, I remained silent.

My mind was only focused on finding a way out of my situation. I couldn't do much in the way of escaping now, seeing as how the three dragons were within feet where I sat.

A roll of thunder in the distance brought my gaze up to the sky. I cursed mother nature for bringing in storm clouds at this time. On any other day, it wouldn't have phased me, but while I was up on the roof, there was nothing to protect me.

I shifted uncomfortably, trying to find a better position to lean against the wall. But in doing so, I brought the gazes of the roof's other occupants to me.

Their eyes didn't leave me for a long time. However, since there were three of them and only one of me, I had to look at each of them separately. For having such similar appearances, the expression on each face was completely different.

The boy appeared to be the leader of the group. His gaze was the firmest of the three, not flickering all the while. Even I found myself intimidated by the glare.

The first of the girls was examining me curiously. However, she was staring down at me, as though I was nothing more than a dog. Her expression read as arrogant, anything but humble.

Beside her sister, the other dragon's eyes couldn't find a location to rest on. She had a large smile on her face and was eagerly staring at me. Her tongue quickly flicked across her lips as she looked at my body. I made sure that I didn't make eye contact with her.

"Sisters," the dragon who kidnapped me started, "I found the boy."

They began to walk forward, never taking their eyes off of me. In just a few seconds, the three stood all around me.

"Stand." He ordered.

I did so, feeling incredibly awkward. I kept my back as close to the wall as I could manage. I felt that maybe if I kept a distance between myself and the dragons, I could disappear.

Unfortunately, turning invisible wasn't an ability of mine, and I had to stand there while they exchanged looks with each other.

But while they were distracted with their secret glances, I reached behind my back. The door leading into the building was directly behind me. I felt around for the knob, slowly testing it to see if it was locked.

I wasn't surprised to find that it was. It would have been too easy if the door was unlocked.

"Welcome to our home." One of the girls said, the one that had been staring at me uncomfortably. I looked at her and found that she still had the same expression, one of lust.

"Why am I here?" I asked. If they were going to hold me hostage, I had a right to some questions.

"You haven't heard? We 'monsters,' as you humans call us, are taking pets." Said the arrogant girl.

"Slaves." Said that boy.

"Companions." Said that other girl.

The last of the dragons to speak giggled quietly. "I guess we will work that out later."

'What?' I thought, incredibly taken back at their words. Slaves, pets, companions? Certainly they didn't expect me to be all of those things.

"He looks afraid, Krin. I think we scared the poor thing."

I was really beginning to hate that arrogant girl.

"Then how does this work?" I asked, trying to think through the situation logically. Not just that, but I wanted to get the most information out of the three as possible. Anything they told me gave me additional information that could possibly be helpful later.

"You do what we tell you to do." The boy, who I now knew was named Krin, answered.

"What does that include?" I pressed. They had to give me something to go off of.

"Obey my every order." Krin answered.

"Love me." The lusting girl responded.

"Ignore Kisara." The arrogant girl muttered.

So now I knew Kisara and Krin. That left just one name for me to learn. After that, I could get to the more important information.

Then I froze. Did she just say 'Love me?'

Krin growled quietly at his sister, but didn't speak. I had never been more unsure of myself than this moment. I could handle myself in a room full of evil business men, even at funerals I know exactly what to say. But this – this was a predicament that I had never been in.

I felt a drop of rain on my nose, and I turned my head up to the sky to examine the clouds. Of course I knew that I my looking at the sky would do nothing, but I was hoping that the rain would hold off.

A hand reached out and grabbed onto my chin, pulling my gaze back to the dragons. Krin's hand quickly left my face.

"Don't get distracted."

"Distracted from what? I didn't hear anyone speaking."

Krin appeared angry, but Kisara jumped in. "Darling! What happened to your face?" She quickly moved to stand directly in front of me, stroking my cheek where Kuriboh had scratched me. It still hadn't healed, but luckily, the pain had stopped.

"An accident." I stated, hoping that she would let the subject drop.

"Lesson One." Krin said, stepping to me and pinning me to the door. "We can tell when you don't speak the truth. No lies."

Kisara continued to stroke my cheek, casting her concerned gaze upon me. I tried to pull my face away from her, but Krin kept me pinned tightly to the wall.

"What happened?" The other girl questioned.

"A beast scratched me."

Krin pulled his hand away, but Kisara left hers. However, it wasn't long before her hands went from my cheek down to my lips.

"Sister." The other girl said, a slight warning in her tone.

"I didn't know that he would be so appealing."

With Krin's hand gone, I pulled my face away from her touch. I had never been so disturbed in my life. I only wished that I had avoided the Blue-Eyes longer. Each one was so different from the others, I couldn't wrap my mind around the situation.

"Kara, any news from the others?" Krin asked. The two dragons walked off, leaving me with Kisara. If I had been more daring, I would have asked who the others were. However, I was too distracted by the dragon still standing beside me. She kept staring at me from every angle. I nearly asked her to stop, but then reconsidered. I had seen what Krin was capable of and I wasn't going to risk upsetting his sister.

"Darling, let's talk." She said, grabbing hold of my arm and walking me over to a corner of the roof. We sat down near the edge, the one looking across the city towards my old house. I glared in the direction of the mansion. Nothing good had ever come from the place, and I was more than glad to be rid of it.

"Say something." She instructed.

I turned to look at her. "What would you like me to say?"

She giggled. "I don't care. I just want to listen to you talk."

She then placed both hands on the top of my arm and leaned her head on my shoulder. I tried to come up with a decent comment while she snuggled close to me.

"I used to work in this building." Was the first thing that came to mind. But I spoke without thinking about what I was actually saying. Why would I tell them that I knew this building? Would they believe that would increase my chances of escaping?

"Really? That is so exciting! Were you important?"

There. My opportunity to fix what I had said. "No, I was a computer technician. I just did some programming."

I thought it was believable, and apparently she did as well because she didn't press the subject matter. Her only response was, "Tell me something else."

"I have a brother."

She snuggled in closer, tightening her grip on my arm. "What is his name?"

"Mokuba."

When I didn't continue, she pushed on my arm until I kept talking.

"He just turned fourteen. His birthday was last month. We didn't get to do celebrate or anything, which I hated. I couldn't even get him a present because the-"

I stopped for a second. Would she be offended if I called Kuriboh a beast or a monster. What term would be the least offensive to her?

"The fact that my brother was chosen. Kuriboh is really possessive."

Just talking about that creature made me angry. It just brought back all of the memories of the past months, working around Kuriboh just to see my brother. Mokuba was all that I had, and I wasn't allowed to speak to him. And now I was trapped on the roof of an eighty story building with no way down, unable to do anything to help him. Where was he going to get food from? Would Kuriboh even think about that? I didn't think that Mokuba would be able to live alone.

I twisted my head in the direction that Mokuba was in. I didn't know why, but it just felt like I would look and he would be there. As if he was waiting for me to come home.

That was when the rain began to pour down. Kisara seemed unfazed by the sudden onslaught, but I couldn't say the same for myself. It didn't take more than a minute before I was entirely soaked.

All Kisara said was, "Tell me something else."

* * *

**Mokuba's POV**

I could hear the rain as it began to fall, but I wasn't in a position to see it. Or rather, I was in the right position, but there was something in my way.

Kuriboh stood in front of the window looking out. Unfortunately for me, I was on the wrong in of the couch, and he was directly in my line of sight. Every time I moved, he spun around quickly to glare at me, then returned to his previous activity.

I normally would have been bored, but now, I was too worried. Seto's keys were still sitting on the table by the door, a constant reminder that he wasn't here.

I had heard the entire event this morning. There was nothing I could do for Seto. Kuriboh hadn't let me anywhere near the door, even though I had actually attempted to fight him. Once I could no longer heard Seto, Kuriboh had turned on me. I now sported several long scratches across my face and arms. But I didn't notice them. They were just a dull throb in the back of my mind in comparison to my worry about Seto.

I didn't miss the roar of the Blue Eyes as Kuriboh kept Seto trapped outside. It was closer than I had ever heard it before. It sounded like it was coming from directly above the house. I couldn't even imagine Seto not getting found with the dragon that nearby.

I tapped my foot anxiously. My nervous energy had to be released somewhere, and this was the only action that I could manage without upsetting the beast across the room from me.

Kuriboh hadn't moved from his spot in about three hours. The exact time I couldn't be sure of, I couldn't see any of the clocks in the room. But sitting in the bedroom for days after days had given me a good sense of time. I had become painfully aware of how long a minute truly could be.

The computer across the room made a sound, one that I didn't recognize. But as I peered over, I could see Seto's chatroom open. From this distance, I couldn't see who was trying to talk to him.

Kuriboh didn't seem to hear the sound. Or at least if he did, he didn't react to it.

Then the sound came again. Twice more. Someone was seriously trying to get in touch with my brother.

I shifted slowly, trying to get as close as possible to the computer. I was met with the gaze of the beast, sending me a warning.

"I'm thirsty. Do you mind if I get some water?"

I bit my lip. He wasn't the type to let me do anything, even if it was so essential to life. Seto had always made sure that I had what I needed. What would I do without him?

When he didn't show any reaction, I assumed that meant yes.

Every action had to be slow. I couldn't do anything that might possibly set him off. There were enough scratches on me right now, I didn't need any more.

I prayed that the computer didn't make anymore sounds as I moved towards it. My plan was incredibly simple. I just had to get close enough to see the screen. Responding wasn't an option, but I wanted to know what was so important.

**DuelKing1- **Kaiba, are you there?

**DuelKing1- **You were right, he can talk. Are you there?

**DuelKing1- **He was talking about a war. Kaiba, the Dark Monsters are planning something. You have to get out of town.

**DuelKing1- **Kaiba, where are you?

**DuelKing1 has disconnected.**

DuelKing must be Yami. That was the only person I could think of that was proud enough to name themself the Duel King.

Then, what is this about a war?

I didn't stay in front of the computer long. It only took me a few seconds to read the screen, then I moved to the kitchen. I searched for the water bottles, not knowing where Seto kept them. But as I searched, thoughts of war were plaguing my thoughts.

Yami's messages didn't give me any information to go off of. I didn't know who the "he" was that Yami referred to, or anything about a war.

Maybe Seto knew more than I did. Yami did say that Seto was right. About what I had no idea, but it was apparent that they had spoke at some point.

It sounded very urgent. I knew that Yami was risking a lot trying to get word out. Seto had told me that the Dark Magician was even more possessive than Kuriboh, to the point that he had even killed Yugi. If Yami was caught, I doubt that it would end well for him.

Seto needed to know this. There was no way that he was coming back here, so that left me one option. I had to get to him.

I opened a cabinet, still pretending to search for the water. I had actually found it at the beginning of my search, but I didn't want to sit back down just yet.

Next I opened a drawer, finding it full of silverware. The idea came to me instantly. I didn't have to think it completely through. I would be able to complete my plan.

I checked to make sure that the beast wasn't looking at me before I casually slid a knife into the back of my jeans. The hem of my shirt covered the handle.

My clothing wasn't the best for the situation. It was just a white shirt and jeans, no shoes. Seto had always put on darker clothing before leaving the house. It was a necessary precaution, but one that I wouldn't have time for.

I went back to the water bottles and took one, just for the sake of the illusion. If I was going to be successful in this, it had to be perfect.

Instead of going back to the couch, I moved closer to the empty wall near to the door. My action didn't go unnoticed. Kuriboh watched me at first, but then when I didn't move back to the couch, he moved closer to me. I flipped the water bottle in my hands, waiting for the monster to move closer to me. I looked him in the eyes, hoping that he would continue moving in my direction**. **

He did. When he was about five feet away from me, I threw the water bottle as hard as I could. He didn't have time to react as the bottle sailed threw the air and hit him directly in the middle of his small body.

Of course, that only served to make him angry, which was exactly what I was hoping for. He began his attack immediately. I knew that was going to happen, so while the water bottle was in the air, I pulled the knife out. As soon as he was close enough that I could reach, I spun around, putting him between me and the wall. Then in one swift move, I stabbed the knife through his hand.

It was hard to avoid his claws while pinning the beast to the wall. I spent a bit of extra time and energy to force the knife into the wall. I was so afraid that it wouldn't keep him there long enough for me to escape, and that thought gave me the strength I needed to drive the knife in place.

When I was certain that he was stuck, I pulled away from his other hand. He was growling in pain and in anger. His eyes kept switching from me to the knife through his hand.

I didn't waste any time, because I didn't have any to lose. I only took a minute to grab a jacket off the hook by the door, then I left.

I ran. I didn't know where I was running to, just that I had to get away from the house. Then I had to find Seto.

* * *

There is chapter five! It is shorter than all the others, but- it happens. I'll try to get the next one out some time after finals. So, within the next two weeks. Or so.

Leave me a review please?


	6. Six

Hey everyone! Did you think I forgot about you?

**H-Bomber- **Thanks for the review! Glad you like the story and I hope you keep reading!

**Uchiha 'Karite' ****Shikyo**- Thanks! I really liked that part of it too. Not quite sure why I put that it there, it just happened!

**liondancer17- **Well, that review was epic! Haha- and I don't use that word too much, or ever. . . Haha. Keep reading!

**Teal Phoenix- **I know right? The boy finally thought for himself. I'm very proud of him. And I'm really glad that you are hooked on this! It is really exciting to hear, and it just makes me sad that I take a month to update every chapter. It isn't bad that you like Krin! Haha- I like him and Kisara. Thanks for the plushie and the review!

**Shinryu-Twilight Dragon- **It does seem like you are good at predicting things. And I'm thinking that if I add another dragon into the mix, it would just be another normal Blue-Eyes. But I haven't decided yet. And the Egyptian God Cards? Haha- I don't know what I would do with them. I mean, don't we want the heroes to stand a chance?

**AyaseFanGirl- **I wish that I would update more too. Really, I felt horrible when I saw how long it has been. And you may just be seeing that here in a few chapters. . . Haha- way to predict it!

**se-tar- **Did I really say two weeks? I am so sorry! How is a month or so for you? Really, I had no idea that it would take me this long. And why didn't Mokubatry it sooner? Because he hadn't thought of it! That was a very spur of the moment action.

**Cayannamon- **Haha- thanks for the review! And not just here, but also for Arose!

**Seto K4iba1- **A younger Seto? I'd never thought of it that way, but now that you say it. . . maybe a bit of Seto has rubbed off on him. Let's see if that holds true for this chapter.

**Happyfish- **Thanks! I'm sorry the update took so long!

**And for the mysterious reviewer who I don't have a name for- **Thanks for the review! And it would be easier to mention you if I had a name! Haha.

(And the disclaimer still stands)

* * *

Seto's POV

The rain had been coming down for hours. I leaned my head back against the wall, holding my face down. It didn't do much in the way of keeping me dry. Water still dripped down my face, not a bit of me was dry, but I felt like I was doing something. I was cold and wet, becoming more and more miserable by each second. And being so miserable, I hadn't been able to sleep. Clouds still filled the sky so I didn't know what time it was, but since it was growing lighter, I assumed that the sun was coming up.

The three dragons had slept through the night, seemingly unfazed by the storm. They all slept close together in their beast form. It had been about seven hours since they had fallen asleep, and it had been raining the whole while. Of course this would result in my getting sick, but I had no way of stopping it. Maybe if I got sick, they'd let me stay inside.

I arched my back, trying to get it to pop. After sitting in one location so long, it was beginning to get sore.

Looking across the roof, I saw the three dragons still asleep. Then I glanced around the roof. I needed to stretch, and if I just did a bit of walking, what harm could it do? The worst that could happen was them getting angry that I had moved. After all, I couldn't go anywhere, so it wasn't like I was trying to escape.

Deciding that I might as well risk it, I got to my feet. Moving as quietly as I could, I walked to the edge of the building. But just because I was on the edge, that didn't mean that I had to look down. Instead of down, I looked across the city. It was a dark view. Most everything was in ruin as far as I could see, which I'll admit, wasn't very far due to the rain. But I knew how much of the city was in the same condition.

My gaze travelled in the direction of the house I had been living in. I was desperate to know how Mokuba was doing. I feared the worst, knowing that it was a complete possibility. What if Kuriboh kept him trapped in that back room? What if Mokuba had no way of getting food or water? Then what would he do?

I crossed my arms, trying to fight off the cold. The attempt was pointless, I was going to be cold either way.

I heard growling from behind me. There was a moment of hesitation before I turned around. Part of me wanted to be defiant as I generally was, but then I remembered my plan. If I wanted to get out of this situation, I had to be good.

Krin was standing a few feet away from me. His arms were crossed in a similar manner to mine as he glared.

"Why are you over here?" He questioned.

"I needed to stretch." I stated. I wasn't afraid of him, but I still found worry hiding behind my words. I didn't feel as though it came through, however, I tried to control myself better.

"And you have to do so near the edge?" He asked.

"There aren't many other places to walk. We are on a roof." I responded.

He gestured for me to follow him, and lead me back to the door I had been sitting against all night.

I leaned back on the door and slowly slid to the floor. Once I was back to my original position, Krin glared down at me. I simply stared back up at him, waiting for something to happen. But he didn't talk to me. He turned around to address his sisters who were approaching us.

"Sisters, I'm about to go to the mountain. I should be back by sun down."

"Ooh! Tell Luster I say hi!" Kisara exclaimed. Kara smiled and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I'm afraid I must leave today as well. Will you be able to stay with our pet?" She asked.

I tried not to look to hopefully about the thought of all three leaving. If that was the case, escaping would be easier than I thought.

Kisara looked ecstatic. "Of course I can stay here!"

Well there went that plan.

"Thank you sister. I should be back before sunset also." All I could think of were thoughts of terror. I had to stay here all day with her?

They ignored me after that, except for the occasional glance from Kisara. They were saying their goodbyes. I watched curiously. The way they spoke with each other made it seem as though they would never see one another again. I didn't quite understand why they acted this way. Krin actually showed a side other than they demanding dictator. The way he interacted with his sisters showed off a softer, if only slightly, side.

Krin was the first to transform back into his dragon form. All though I didn't appreciate being held against my will, watching the transformation amazed me. I was always a fan of the Blue-Eyes, so even my hatred for them couldn't outshine their beauty.

I managed to squint through partially closed eyes to watch the light surrounding Krin as his scales appeared. It was odd. The shift from human to dragon was not a slow one. The shift took only a few seconds, which made it hard to concentrate on everything.

As Krin flew off, I still couldn't comprehend exactly how the changed had occurred. So when Kara prepared to leave, I made sure to watch more closely. I wanted to know how the change actually occurred, but even after watching it a second time, I didn't clearly see it.

And once Kara was gone, I was left with Kisara. She turned to me and began to hum. The tune was upbeat, but it didn't settle me at all.

Appearance wise, she looked like a young, energetic woman. She reminded me of all the girls in high school who followed me around. But I had to remind myself that this was no teenage girl. I was dealing with a very dangerous dragon. And one who wasn't use to being denied.

"Darling! Did you sleep well?" She asked, somehow continuing to hum as she spoke.

"It was fine." I lied. And unlike Krin, she didn't seem to notice.

"Wonderful!" She exclaimed.

I watched as a spark appeared in her eyes. She had an idea, and from the prominence of the idea of her expression, I knew I wouldn't have to wait long to find out what it was.

Kisara slowly walked towards me, well not walked as much slinked. She bit her lip, then rubbed her tongue over her lips. I didn't take my eyes off of her as she approached.

Before too long, she was kneeling down beside me. Kisara reached a hand up to run her fingers through my hair. She had all of my hair away from my face after only a minute. She stared me in the eyes, moving her fingers to trace the outline of my jaw, nose, and eyes.

I leaned back as she neared my mouth. I didn't want her getting anywhere near that part of my face. But she wasn't going to let me get away with that. While one hand moved to my lips, the other forced my head to face her.

One of her fingers forced its way between my lips. From that point, she could easily move her finger around the inner part of my lips.

"My love, you are beautiful." She stated.

A small frown flickered across her face when she began to examine my cheek. She gently felt along the edges of the long cut I had received yesterday.

"Tell me dear, who did this to you?"

I thought through my answer. If I told her that Kuriboh did it, she would probably try to revenge the act. Not that I minded her hurting the beast, but I didn't want her getting anywhere close to Mokuba. I couldn't believe that she would ignore him completely.

"Like I said before, a beast scratched me."

Kisarapulled her hands away from my face. She leaned in close so I could hear her quiet words. "Was it the Kuriboh that chose your brother?"

I nodded, recalling Krin's words about the three of them being able to detect lies. At least she didn't know the location of my old house, so she couldn't go after him.

"How dreadful! Why did he hurt you darling?"

I pretended that I didn't hear the pet name. "He was jealous of me. This was a warning." I answered. I knew that wasn't the exact reason, but it was very close to the truth.

"Do you think I'm beautiful?" Kisara asked, suddenly changing the subject.

I examined her face. I hadn't really looked closely at any of the dragons, so I couldn't immediately answer.

Her eyes were the same color as Krin's. A light, but electric blue that seemed to jump off her face. And her eyes were larger than the average human, making them even more prominent on her face. Below her eyes, I noted how high the bones in her cheeks were. However, there was no blush to her cheeks. In fact, all of her skin was nearly white with no blemishes or scars.

I purposefully kept my eyes away from her mouth. So I looked to her hair. It, like her skin, was nearly white, but it contained the smallest traces of blue. Her hair had waves in it, and they flowed loosely across her shoulders and down her back.

It was obvious that she was beautiful, but to tell her that might give her the wrong impression. I didn't want her to think I had any sort of feelings for her other than ones of fear and hatred. But a part of me knew that if I said no or didn't answer, the result would be even worse. I had no reason to upset her. Making her angry could only cause more problems.

"Yes." I answered, deciding that a happy dragon was preferable an angry one. I could live with the consequences.

She smiled pleased with my answer. Her hands came back to my face to my face, one on either side of my jaw, and her lips were on mine before I even had time to register what was happening.

My initial reaction was to pull away, but she held me still. So all I could do was wait it out. I hoped that dragons needed to breath too.

She brought her head away from mine, but only for a moment. In that time, she moved her hands to the back of my neck to pull me closer to her. I managed to take a deep breath before she reclaimed my lips with her own. I was glad that I took the breath, because this kiss was longer than the last.

I could feel her lust burning through the kiss. There was no passion behind it, only the eager flame. She moved as though she was desperate for more. She didn't stop moving, not even for the smallest moment, but continued her attack.

Her lips opened and closed as she tried to pry my mouth open with her tongue. But I kept my lips pressed firmly together, and my teeth clenched. I wouldn't let her inside.

But she wouldn't have that. She removed one of her hands from its place at my neck to bring it to my chin. From there, she squeezed until she pried my jaw open.

I never closed my eyes. As her tongue invaded my mouth, I watched her face, trying to ignore the fact that a dragon was making out with me. It was disgusting and unnatural. It was like kissing an animal.

Now that she had successfully worked her way into my mouth, there was no need for the hand on my face. She dropped it to my shirt, grabbing handfuls of the material. I felt every inch that she moved as her hand fell lower. By the time she stopped moving it, she had reached the bottom of my shirt. From that point, she began to work her way back up, only this time, going under the material.

I was losing oxygen. She had been at this for too long, and I no longer had any air. Maybe I could pass out. After all, she couldn't make out with an unconscious body, right?

My stomach growled at that moment. I didn't think much of it, but it wasn't my opinion that was important.

Kisara leaned back. "I forgot that you hadn't eaten anything! I'm so sorry love!"

She jumped up, then ran across the roof searching for something. "I'm sure we have something up here for you to eat." She muttered as she sorted through their items.

I stared in disbelief. How could she go from one personality to another so quickly? One minute I'm being attacked as she kissed me, and the next, she is more concerned about my hunger?

One thing was certain. It wasn't safe to be up here.

* * *

Mokuba's POV

My feet were really hurting. I wasn't sure how long I had been running, but it had to be a few miles. I tried not to look down, knowing that if I did so, I might stop to examine them. If I stopped, I didn't think that I would be able to start running again.

So I stared ahead. I had never run through the streets of Domino by myself, and especially not while there were beasts crawling about. Seto had warned me that going out alone was dangerous, but I didn't have a choice. If I hadn't left when I did, I was certain that I never would.

The clouds were building up, threatening to overflow. I didn't have anything to keep me warm. The only clothes in my possession were the ones on my back.

"Boy!"

I peered around the corner from where I just came. An elderly woman was leaning out of her doorway. From the look on her face, I could tell that she was nervous to be out on the street during daylight.

"Yes! I mean you boy! Get in here!"

I had never seen this woman in my life, but I ran to her. Right now, I was just so ready to get off the street, I would take any offer I found. And even if she didn't do much for me, at least I would get a chance to sit down for a minute or two.

Just as the door was about to close behind me, I saw a group of beasts coming down the street. I pressed my back against the door while I waited for the barks and growls to fade away.

"Thank you." I said, addressing the woman. I then took a moment to catch my breath, then prepared to leave once she didn't say anything. I reached out for the doorknob, but as my fingers wrapped around it, her hand landed on mine.

"Where do you think you are off to?" She questioned, pulling my hand away from the door.

I didn't answer. All though this woman did help me by taking me off the streets while the beasts passed, I didn't trust her with a truthful response.

When she saw my hesitation, she moved on. "I'm not letting you go anywhere until I get a look at those feet. If you run much longer, I believe they'll fall off."

I looked down. My feet looked as bad as they felt. They were covered in scrapes and cuts, all of which had produced quite a good bit of blood. And not just that, but after running miles down the road, a large amount of dirt had stuck to them.

"I don't want to get your floors dirty." I said, ashamed of my uncleanness.

"Now don't you worry about that. It is just carpet."

I followed her through a hallway and what appeared to be a dining room. At least, it would have been in the past. It was now filled with boxes. From the far corner of the room to the opposite wall, all I could see was boxes. They were all filled with different items. Some had food, others books, one wall of boxes contained medicine and first aid kits. But as curious as I was, I didn't ask about any of it. None of it was my business, so I kept silent.

"Have a seat." She said, directing me to a chair. We were now in the kitchen, which was set up as though there would be a great deal of cooking going on. She had the largest stove that I had ever seen, and a refrigerator that would make any chef envy her. The table I was sitting at could hold about twenty people, and as I glanced through and open door, I could see another dining room that was set up to hold many more.

The lady moved around the kitchen, opening cabinets and drawers pulling out medical equipment. When she had collected everything she needed, she approached me. "I have to clean out the cuts, so this will hurt." She told me. I nodded with understanding.

I tried to push the pain away as she worked. To do so, I struck up a conversation.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked.

"It is what I do." She answered. "I help people who need it. Certainly you noticed all of the boxes in the other room. I'm sort of like a homeless shelter, but I only take people in for a day or two before they move on."

"Why only a day?" I asked, wincing in pain as she applied some alcohol.

"I suppose you could call me a subway station. People stay for a while, but they are only waiting for the train to come and get them."

I cocked my head curiously. "I don't understand. A train?"

She smiled. "Remember from your history classes about the Underground Railroad? Think of it like that. There is a group of people who comes through to help others get out of the city. But everything they do is very secretive and well thought out."

I nodded, now understanding. "How many people manage to escape?"

"A few dozen every month. Are you interested?" She stopped her work to look me in the eyes. She was giving me a serious offer, and one that I would love to accept. However, I was on too important of a mission for that. Maybe someday.

"I can't." Was my only reply.

"I see. Family matters keeping you?" She asked, but by the way she phrased it, I could tell that she had met people in my situation before.

"I have a brother. I think he had been chosen." I admitted.

"Well then," She said, finally getting the last bit of dirt off my feet. "If it is information you are looking for, I know just the place."

Now that was something I could use. I had no idea where I was going to start my search for Seto. Any lead seemed like a good one at this point, so I waited for her to explain further information. But she didn't say anything. All she did was continue her work on my feet, which was beginning to feel very awkward.

"Where should I go then?" I questioned, beginning to push myself up from the chair. But just as she had done with the door knob, she kept me from completing the action.

"No reason to rush. Let me wrap up your feet."

She didn't say anything else as she went about her task. And I didn't want to push her hospitality, so I too stayed quiet.

By the time she was finished, I had a layer of bandages covering my feet that was so thick, I felt as though I now stood a good deal taller.

"What is your name?" I asked, suddenly realising that we hadn't introduced ourselves.

"Maggie Nale. And you are?"

"I'm Mokuba." I responded, purposefully leaving off my last name. I had developed a habit of doing so a while back. The name only caused me trouble. And all though she didn't seem like the dangerous sort, it was a habit that I didn't feel like breaking.

"Well Mister Mokuba, I believe that I'm just taking time away from you and your quest to find your brother. Shall I give your directions to your next stop?"

She walked me back over to the front door, once more passing through the room with the boxes. While in there, she paused momentarily to pull a package out of one of the larger boxes. When we were back at the door, she grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face her.

"Take this." She said, handing me the package she had just grabbed. "When you leave, go down the road until you reach the stop sign. From there, go left. Look for address 3021. Go in there, but be careful. The man working in the store has been chosen."

When she let go of me, I took that as the signal that I was free to go.

"Thank you." I said again.

I reached out for the door knob, and this time, I made it as far as turning the knob before her words stopped me. "And Mokuba, please use the money I gave you to buy some shoes."

The package in my hands must have been the money she was referring to. I moved it to my jacket pocket.

I mouthed my thanks, then left the house.

Making sure that the road was clear, I walked carefully out of the house. I did everything in my power to stay as silent as I could manage. The beasts that had been out here earlier couldn't be too far off, and bringing their attention to me would be the worst possible thing that could happen.

In order to turn left once I reached the stop sign, I had to cross the rad. Before doing so, I leaned against the nearest wall. I tried to calm my nerves, tried to keep my breath even. There was no need to panic while trying to run.

Finally deciding to go, I did so at full speed. In this case, full speed wasn't very fast since my feet were practically useless, but I made it across without incident.

Then 3021 was all I was focused on. I moved down the narrow road, looking for the proper numbers. But they were hard to make out. The street was a torn down one. Most all of the windows were shattered, and doors were boarded up, which made it seem completely abandoned.

Yet, from the numbers that were still intact, I could tell that I was going in the right direction. Only when I reached 3021 did I stop moving. The building itself wasn't so different from the ones surrounding it. The numbers were however, the only ones that were still neatly attached to the wall. I glanced at the windows as I approached. They resembled the doors on the rest of the buildings, entirely covered up. If I had been walking down this road under any other circumstance, I never would have given this place a second thought.

And that is what made this a good hiding place.

I walked in, noting how dark the room was.

"Hello?" I called out. I couldn't see anything due to the poor lighting, so I had to wait for my eyes to adjust.

"What can I do you for?" A voice asked from somewhere in the darkness. I tried to look in the direction of the sound.

"Um-" I began, hesitating when I heard a low growl from the other end of the room. "Mrs. Nale sent me? She said you were the person to come to for information."

"That's me."

I heard the sound of a match striking. A few seconds later, the faint flickering of a candle partially illuminated the room. And now that I could see, I couldn't help but wish that I was still blind.

"Well well. If it isn't Mokuba Kaiba. How'd you get out? I saw your brother in here just a few days ago."

"Keith?" I said, surprised that I recognized him. I also decided to leave off the 'Bandit' part. I wasn't sure if it would offend him or not, so I just decided against it.

"The one and only. Where is my least favorite Kaiba?" He asked. But I saw movement behind Keith that made me forget to answer his question for a moment. It was still too dark to see what was causing the movement, but I knew that Mrs. Nale had given me warning.

"That is why I'm here. I don't know where he is." I answered.

Keith quickly looked over me. Once his eyes fell on my wrapped feet, he said, "So you ran away?" As he spoke, I saw the movement again. This time, it was closer to me, so I could see what the case of it was.

Back before all of this, I recalled that Keith had been a serious duelist. There was one monster that stood out from all of them, and that was why Zoa choosing him seemed obvious. Unfortunately for me, Zoa was incredibly frightening.

"I have to find him."

"And how can I help you with that?" Keith asked. "Like I said, it has been days since I've seen the friendly fellow."

I shifted nervously as Zoa came near me. I heard him sniffing as he walked behind me.

"I think he was chosen." I said, looking at Zoa more than Keith. That beast was so large, I actually started shaking when I imagined myself being chosen by that thing. I had been luckier than most, but Keith didn't even seem fazed.

"And what beast are you looking for?"

"The Blue-Eyes."

Keith let out a whistle of amusement. "You are searching for those three? How do you intend on getting away from them?"

Three? That thought nearly stopped my heart. I had no idea that there was more than one of the dangerous dragons.

"I just have to find him. Do you know where they are?" I asked, trying to sound as though I had known how many there were the whole while.

"Yeah, I know where those three are. It isn't like they are in hiding. Why should they be? Nothing would dare go after them, except you of course. Anyways, you know where the KaibaCorp building is?" He asked sarcastically.

I didn't merit that with a response. Luckily, one wasn't required. Keith went on. "They are living on the roof. If they have your brother, that is where they will be keeping him."

"All right. Do you have any shoes?" I realized that the question sounded out of place, but now that I had the information I needed, I was ready to get out.

Keith laughed. "Are you sure you need them?"

I didn't answer.

"What size?"

"Nine." I answered, and Keith told me to wait a moment, and he walked out of the room, leaving me with Zoa.

He wasn't gone for more than ten seconds before I heard a voice beside me. "You've been chosen." The voice was low, sounding exactly what I pictured a monster's voice sounding like.

"What?" Was the only word I could say.

"I can smell it on you." He explained.

I twisted my head to look at the beast beside I was talking to. He was tall. Taller than Seto by at least half a foot. His skin was like no color I had ever seen. It was an odd mixture of blue, green, and silver, which made him look all most sickly. The room was still dark enough that I couldn't mae out his eye color, but his hair was thin and sparse, the same color as skin.

"Who do you belong to?" He questioned, cocking his head as he stared.

I nearly gave him the truth, but something in my head stopped me. Wasn't he a dark monster? Kuriboh was the same type. Telling him the truth might only get me taken back home.

"Mystical Elf." Was the first light monster that came to mind.

He snarled. "Light fools. Can't even keep up with their own belongings."

Keith reentered the room. In his hands was a box that I saw to be a shoebox.

"I assumed you wanted sneakers." He said, laying the box on his desk. "Do you have money?"

I pulled the money that Mrs. Nale had given me out of my pocket. I handed it to him, and he counted it quickly. "Just enough. Thanks for your business. Do come again."

I had counted the money at the same time he did. I was perfectly aware that the old shoes in the box weren't priced at fifty dollars. But I decided just to let it go. There was no way I was going to argue with Keith while Zoa was watching.

It took me a minute or two to put the shoes on. And I was moving as quickly as I could. It was uncomfortable in the store, so I wanted to get out immediately.

"Best of luck on stealing from the light demons." Zoa said, smirking.

I left the store, proud of my new shoes and headed for KaibaCorp.

* * *

How was that? Was it worth the wait? And if it makes anyone feel better, I've all ready started on the next chapter. But I'm not going to give a time it will be out, I'm not good at keeping deadlines apparently.

Have a Twitter account? Want to make one? Follow me! **KaelynnD**

**Review please!**


	7. Seven

Hey everyone! Ready for another chapter?

**Teribane: **No need to beg! Have another chapter! Actually, it was your review that reminded me that it has been ages since I have updated! Most of this chapter was all ready written, I just had to add the end of each scene, but I was procrastinating like I always do. So, thanks for the review/jumpstart! I really was stalling. Haha

**TheUn-POP-ableBubble: **Can I just point out that your username is really hard to type? And thanks for the review, and I agree! It is really creepy. That is one of the reasons I find this so difficult to write, and why the updates take so long. It is the craziest thing I have ever written, so it is very new to me. Kara is your favourite, eh? She is forreal the hardest to write as. I'm putting off her chapter for just that reason. I guess you could call this chapter Krin's, the previous (?) Kisara's, and Kara's chapter is going to get here eventually. I know what is going to happen, but I am terrified to write it! Haha- thanks for sticking with me!

**Cayannamon: **Hello again! I'm glad you enjoy Mokuba's cover, because I think I took like, ten minutes trying to decide which monster he would go with. Isn't Kisara odd?

**H-bomber: **Thanks! I'm glad you like her, because I think I would die if I had to be in a room with her for too long.

**AlchemicBankai: **(Did I spell that right?) It is a shame I don't update faster, I agree entirely. Blame it on laziness or a busy schedule, either one. Both are completely true. Exodia in parts? That would be hilarious! I might have to add that in for comedy at some point. (Working out scene in my head as I type this) Hope you like the chapter!

**AyaseFanGirl: **I don't really have a friend who inspired Kisara. I know people who I based parts of her off of, but not one person in particular. It is more like the common teenage girl who has a crush on a cute boy. Enjoy!

**LionDancer17: **She certainly isn't. Haha- I cut it off at a very good time for Seto I do believe. Just in the nick of time! And is she the same as the person? Who knows? I certainly don't. And that, of course, just means that I haven't decided how it would influence the plot. I'll try and clear it up later on.

**se-tar: **Too bad this chapter isn't too exciting. It is more a set-up for the next few chapters really. Maybe that is why I didn't get inspired to work on this one? I guess that means that I need to make the next few more interesting. NOT SAYING THAT I DON'T LIKE THIS CHAPTER OR ANYTHING! (I just felt that I needed to clear that up).

**Seto K4iba1: **Some times, I have mistake in my writing. Haha- that is certainly one of them. I try to proof read, but by the time I get the chapter typed and completed, and the review responses all written out, I'm ready to update. I hadn't even considered how people were getting out of Domino. I think I might have to give that one to the Underground Railroad. It would certainly be helpful here.

**j bear: **I hope this one was worth it too! And you probably will see from him again at some point. Hope you like the chapter!

* * *

**Seto's POV**

I hid my face, pushing it as hard as I could manage into the cool surface of Krin's scales. Thousands of feet above the ground, I knew that the last thing I needed to be worried about was the cold. But Krin's flight was so smooth that the thought of falling didn't come across my mind. It was the biting winds constantly hitting me that were my mind's companions. We had only been in the air a few minutes, but I had all ready lost the feeling in both of my hands.

Krin hadn't mentioned where we were going. His only order had been "Climb on" just before he had transformed into his monster form. That left my imagination to fill in the rest, and I wasn't having much luck with it. After all, what knowledge of these monsters did he really have? The only thing I had really learned about them was that they were insane, and incredibly possessive.

I couldn't even open my eyes to look at the ground below because all most as soon as I opened my eyes they would begin burn and dry. So I was stuck simply holding on and praying that this flight wouldn't last much longer.

My prayers were answered. After only a few more cold minutes, I felt Krin begin his descent. Within moments, he was on the ground and I immediately slid off his back. I had never been more thrilled to put my feet on solid ground. I kept my eyes closed however, knowing that Krin was about to shift back into a human.

Through my closed eyes, I could feel the heat from the light Krin's change released. Once the light faded out, a shiver ran down my spine. Even though the temperature was much warmer on the ground than in the sky, it still didn't make the cold leave my body.

After I opened my eyes, I started to rub my hands together, noting the odd shade of blue they had turned.

"Follow me." Krin commanded, and knowing better than to disobey, I followed.

I had been in this area of Domino several times. Not for business, but this was near the orphanage home where I had grown up. It had been a long time since I had come down here, and it couldn't have changed more.

The orphanage home had been in a good area of town, but now, the buildings looked like the rest of the city. Some had fallen in, windows were boarded up, doors were missing or hanging off their hinges and the like. But even with these changes, the place was alive with activity.

In a crowd such as this, Krin didn't stand out. Among all the other deformed human figures, Krin seemed all most normal. I kept close behind him, nervous to be left alone in this particular group.

There was one voice that could be heard over all the others. I glanced in the direction of the sound and saw the reptile figure standing on a stage in the midst of the beasts. It had a chain in it's hand, and when I saw what it lead to, I froze in horror.

Krin stopped the moment that I did.

"I said follow me." He said, speaking over his shoulder.

I couldn't respond. In fact, I only faintly registered him speaking. I was focused on the small boy on stage with a chain around his neck. The boy couldn't be older than ten. He was crying openly, trying to tear the collar off his neck.

Krin turned and followed my gaze up to the stage. "It's a slave market. Keep moving."

When I didn't react, Krin grabbed my arm and began to drag me through the crowd.

We moved towards a small building on the opposite side of the street. I decided that the less I looked around, the better off I would be. In such a short time, I had seen so many broken faces that it hurt me not to be able to help. And it served as a reminder that I was in the same situation as the boy on the stage.

We entered the old office building and were immediately met with an exclamation.

"Krin! It is about time you came by. We have so much news."

"You have managed to receive news?" Krin questioned. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the girl behind the desk.

"I never said it was easy. We had to send Ryo out." She replied. Her eyes cast downward at the mention of the name.

"And?" Krin asked.

"The news was transferred, but Ryo received too many injuries."

Krin just nodded to that. "I brought my slave to look at the computer."

I didn't say anything. I was just glad to know the reason for being brought along.

"Does he know anything about them?"

"Don't most humans?"

They both turned to look at me, as if waiting to hear what I had to say on the subject.

"Where is the computer?" I asked.

All three of us walked down a hallway and into a back room. I immediately saw the computer and groaned. It had to have been one of the oldest computers in existence.

"It just stopped working." The girl said.

"It might just be easier to get a new computer." I stated.

"There was a file on this one that we need." Krin answered.

"I can try. I've never used a computer that was this old though." I said, unsure as to whether or not I would ever be able to get that thing working again.

The two beasts went to sit at a table a few feet away from the computer. I moved to examine the computer. For a long while, I didn't even touch it. All I did was stare at it, and try to identify each part. The technology KaibaCorp had used was so much more advanced than this computer, which looked like it came in the late eighties.

I finally summoned up the courage to get on the floor to start taking it apart, and when I did so, a wave of calm came over me.

For all the time since the monsters had arrived, I hadn't done anything relating to my old job. Building my computers and machines had been a way of releasing stress. This was the first chance I had to take a moment to forget the beasts sitting a few feet away from me and to just work with my hands.

Within minutes I had disassembled all most all of the computer and had the parts sitting around me. If there was one thing in the world I knew how to do, it was put a computer together. If it had been a normal, modern computer, I probably wouldn't have given it much thought since construction of electronics was all most second nature. But since it was so old, it took me a while to identify each part.

"What did you learn from Ryo?" Krin asked. I don't know why I was surprised that he wasn't whispering, but I was. I just assumed that I wasn't supposed to be listening so they would whisper. Maybe this conversation wasn't a secret.

Then again, how could I tell anyone in my position? It could very well be a secret, but one that I had no way of sharing.

"He died before we could receive all the word from the other end, but he managed to get out this. Two weeks. That's how long we have until the other side begins their march." She answered.

"Then we need to be ready to move within the week." Krin responded. "How quickly can we gather everyone?"

"Maybe five days?"

"Excellent. Have we discovered the main gathering yet?"

I kept my hands busy, trying to pretend that I wasn't listening. In all reality, I was incredibly interested in what they were talking about. But I was worried that if they noted my listening, they would stop talking or start speaking in whispers. So I made sure that I continued working while they spoke.

"Not yet. But it is just a matter of time. Our spies have been following several key members of the dark, and we should soon know where they are hiding during the day."

"Is there anything we can do to help them move more quickly?" Krin asked.

"That file is the only lead we have. I don't think it is a coincidence that the computer suddenly broke down."

Krin agreed. He looked over to me and watched as I worked. It was obvious now why I had to be here. They needed someone who could fix the computer, and they needed it done quickly. I recalled telling Kisara that I was a computer technician. She probably mentioned it to Krin, and that is why he believed I could fix it.

I glanced over my work. I had a good amount done. I hadn't actually noticed if there had been a problem with anything, but if this didn't work, the monitor might just be broken. In that case, they would just need to find a new one.

I put the cover back on and clicked the power button. I heard the machine whir into life and a smile came on my face.

"Is it working?" The girl questioned.

"I think so. Something must have come loose or a wire came unplugged." I responded.

She jumped to her feet and ran over to where I was sitting. She grabbed the mouse and started trying to click.

"It isn't doing anything!" She exclaimed.

"You have to wait for it to come on completely." I answered, getting to my feet.

Krin came to stand next to me as we watched the monitor light up. I was amazingly glad that I had successfully figured out how to work a machine that was made before I was born. That fact that I had done it for Krin only slightly took away from the accomplishment.

"Well done." Krin said. He then turned to the girl. "Is the file there?"

"Yes." She said, smiling. "We've got everything here we need. I'll make sure the others see this."

"Then I'm going to go back. I'll come back tomorrow to help send out the word to the other cities."

The girl nodded, too distracted by the file she was examining to answer.

Krin started to leave, so I followed behind him. I couldn't handle the thought of staying in the slave market any longer, and all though I hated the roof of KaibaCorp, I would rather be there than here.

When I stepped out of the room, I noticed an open door at the end of the hallway. Krin walked in the opposite direction, so I turned to follow him.

"Seto!"

I turned around at the sound of my name and was met with the slamming of a door. The door that was open a moment ago was now closed and two men stood beside it.

"What are you doing?" Krin asked, noting my sudden stop.

That was Mokuba's voice. I had to go and see if he was in that room.

Krin walked back over to me, and for the second time today, grabbed my arm and pulled me in the direction he wanted to go in.

"Eventually, you'll do what you are suppose to."

I knew that I was suppose to get to that room. Krin wouldn't let go though, and I was pulled back down the hallway, staring after the closed door and the two men standing outside.

* * *

**Mokuba's POV**

I knew that I shouldn't have stopped running. Nothing should have been able to distract me from my flight, but I let my curiosity get the better of me. I could hear shouting coming from a block over. Of course, knowing that the world was full of demons, I should have assumed that the cause of the noise was not a human.

But I wasn't thinking. I had to know what was going on, so I jogged over.

When I heard the shouts getting louder and louder, I slid against the nearest wall and began to edge my way closer. I moved very slowly. If anyone was looking my way, I didn't want a sudden movement to draw attention. Moving right against a brick wall shredded the palms of my hands, but I didn't dare pull them off the wall.

I stopped when I ran out of wall to hide behind.

Then taking a deep breath, I leaned over to look at the source of the noise.

There was a large crowd of what appeared to be a mix of human and beasts. Hundreds of people and monsters were walking around, mingling with one another. They were speaking loudly, and that is what I assumed the cause of the noise I heard was.

There was a stage in the middle of the crowd, and standing on top of it was what looked to be a man. I couldn't say that it was exactly a human because it had the skin of a lizard. Green scales covered every section of its skin, even travelling all the way down to its tail. No one seemed to notice the reptile until it spoke up, and it's voice was loud enough to be heard over all the other voices.

"Attention ladies and gentlemen, faires and dragons, zombies and fish, light and dark! Come up one and all to bid on the fine mechanise about to be displayed!"

I looked around, but saw nothing that was for sale. I examined each section of the street, trying to find anything that it could have been talking about. Finally, my eyes fell on something in the back. It was far enough away that I could only see the top of it, but I still could tell what it was.

Cages. Several rows of them lined up the sidewalk going all down the block. I couldn't see what was inside of them, but I didn't have faith that it was a good thing.

"Bring up the first item for sale!" The lizard man announced.

Now, all eyes were on the stage as a incredibly large man walked up dragging a small girl with him. She was terrified, with tears pouring down her cheeks. She was using every ounce of strength to pull out of the man's grasp, but he was too strong for her.

It was a slave auction. It didn't take me long to figure that out. And as soon as I did, I turned to run away from the crowd. But I was all most immediately stopped when I ran into a form behind me.

"Well, what do we have here?"

I couldn't do anything more than mumble a few words about just leaving, but when I tried to step away, a hand on my arm stopped me.

"Are you trying to escape boy?"

"No, I-"

He didn't let me finish. He spun me around quickly, moving his grip from my arm to hair and proceeded to drag me from my hiding spot.

No one even glanced our way as he pulled me across the street. He pushed his way to the side of the road with the cages and I struggled to keep up with him. If I slowed down even the smallest bit, he ended up pulling my hair so hard that I lost a good deal of it.

As we walked by the cages, I noticed how full they were. Each one was jammed with people, most all of them younger than me. It appeared as though all of them were crying, or had been crying recently. They were screaming out, begging someone to help them. I didn't blame them, from what I could tell, their situation was only about to get worse. And I couldn't say anything better about my own. I was being pulled into a building behind the crowd, to a location that I didn't want to find out. But the misshapen man kept his tight grip on me.

Once the door closed behind us, the noise that had drawn me to the street was instantly silenced. The only sound coming from the building were distance footsteps coming from a source that I couldn't see.

The building was formerly on office of some kind. Not for any big business, but the front room was a waiting area, complete with a desk and an old computer. But we didn't stay there long, there was a long hallway in connection to the waiting area, and that was where we were headed.

I could hear voices coming from the doorway at the end of the hall. The door wasn't closed, and I could just barely see what was inside. From a distance, it seemed as though a few children were sitting against a wall. However, once I drew closer, I could see the chains.

That was where it dragged me. We entered the room, and it pulled me over to an empty spot directly across from the door. I didn't try to fight as he chained me in place. All I did was sit there and close my eyes, wishing that I had never stopped.

Once I was secured, he left the room, leaving me with the other kids. None of them looked up to see what had happened. All eyes were staring straight at the floor, and most all of them were crying.

I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. I couldn't believe that I had been so dumb to stop and watch some beasts. Seto had managed to go in and out nearly every night since the monsters came and just now got caught. I was out for a day and I got caught.

It made me feel like crying, but I held back the tears. I had to find a way out of this so I could find Seto. He needed to hear what Yami had said. And I needed to make sure that he was all right.

The door reopened and the man who had grabbed me reentered, along with someone else. They walked straight to me, and I could tell that the other children in the room were relieved that the two coming in weren't coming for them. They all buried their faces and leaned away. They knew something that I didn't.

"This is the boy I found just outside. Is he one of ours?" The misshapen man asked his friend.

"No, I don't recognize him. Check to see if he is someone else's human."

The second man who spoke looked incredibly normal. I couldn't decide whether or not he was actually one of the monsters. But he had to be. Why would a human work with them?

The man who had pulled me off the street knelt down next to me and pulled my head down and brushed the hair away from my neck. He felt around, even a few inches below my collar, before turning to the other. "No, he isn't marked."

The human man-beast also bent down so he was at eye level with me.

"Have you been chosen?" He asked me.

I didn't answer him. Either choice would end up badly for me. If I said yes, I might be sent back. Then Kuriboh would never let me out of his sight, or near kitchen utensils. But if I said no, I would just be sold as one of their slaves at the auction outside. Being a slave didn't sound appealing.

While I was thinking over my options, I stared at him. I was trying to decide whether or not he was a beast by his appearance, but he seemed normal to me. So after a minute or two, I realized what he was. Any human should have to blink several times in a minute. He hadn't even done it once.

"You are not going to answer me?" He asked, tired of waiting for my reply.

"I suppose it does not matter." He said, getting to his feet. "I have a way of knowing these things. I can practically smell it on you. You belong to someone, I just cannot tell to whom."

"He escaped then?" The other man said, his tone astonished.

"It has been known to happen. But do not worry, it does not happen very often. If anyone has reported a missing boy, I will find out about it." The non-blinking monster said. He looked down at me. "Maybe I can have you home by tomorrow."

Both men began to head out. I watched them as they walked to the door. Just before they closed it, I looked past them into the hallway and saw a familiar face.

"Seto!" I shouted, desperately hoping that he would hear me. As Seto started to turn his head, the beasts closed the door, locking me inside.

I waited. Maybe he had heard me and would come to see who was shouting his name. Maybe he could get me out of here.

But he never came. No one came into the room. And before long, I found myself in the same position as the other children in the room. Knees pulled close to the chest and staring at the floor. However, I hadn't given up. I was staring at the floor a few feet away from me, where I noticed a paper clip resting.

I was far from giving up.

* * *

So, this took a really long time. I know. I just went through a move and adjusting to a new semester, and that is really my only excuse. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And I am really sorry about the wait. And I know that this chapter is about 4000 words, but it seems really short. Does it seem short to anyone else?

Review Please! (Remember: It was a review that got me to update this chapter!)


	8. Eight

Possessions Chapter Eight

Seto's POV

I had made a decision. Whenever the world went back to normal, I would close off the roof of KaibaCorp. I might even build a different building just so I would never have to be near this spot again. That is how much I hated the spot I had to sit in each and every day. I never got used to the freezing winds or the rain, both of which came nearly every night. There was no way to avoid the weather, so I just had to deal with it the best I could.

Six days. I had been here for all most a week now. There was nothing I could do about it though.

So I stopped speaking. It was a small sign of defiance, but one that I was determined to continue. It had been two days since the last time I spoke to any of them. Krin and Kara didn't seem to mind, they probably just assumed that I was submitting to them.

But it was driving Kisara mad. She had tried several dozen times to get me to talk to me, and each time was unsuccessful. That didn't mean that she would give up. Between each attempt, she would go over to the other two dragons. I could tell that she was talking about me. With each of the gestures and glances in my direction, she got just a bit more frustrated. And the more frustrated she got, the more irritated Krin and Kara grew.

And that was how my past two days had gone. By this point, I was certain that Kara was about to push Kisara off the roof, and Krin had left hours ago to get away from his sister.

"Darling, please speak to me." Kisara said, coming over to kneel beside me. I didn't look in her direction, hoping that would further annoy her.

"Please dear, I need you to say something. Anything."

I continued staring at the distant horizon.

"Why aren't you paying attention to me? Aren't I beautiful?"

That all most had me laughing, but I managed to keep a straight face. If I started laughing, I would lose all my progress.

"Just speak to her!" Kara shouted. "At least that will make her shut up." She added.

Kisara started to pout, leaning in, placing her hands on my shoulders and trying to force me to look at her. "Seto, my love, don't you want me to be happy?" She asked.

I closed my eyes to keep from rolling them at her words. She kidnaps me, holds me prisoner, and expects me to want her to be happy? I didn't care if she died, much less if she was happy. Actually, I really wanted Kara to push her off the roof.

"Your brother, do you want to see him?" Kisara questioned.

I glanced at her, actually making eye contact. She was willing to do that?

"I'll do it for you, I really will. All you have to do is tell me where he is."

I didn't answer her immediately. For all I knew, she was just trying to get me to say something, and then she wouldn't follow through with her end.

But she didn't look like she was lying. The expression in her eyes seemed sincere, as if she really meant all that she had said. As if she really just wanted me to start talking to her once more, and she would do whatever it took to accomplish that.

"We can go together, right now. Would you like that?"

Kara was looking in our direction, clearly interested as to whether or not I would answer. She had an obvious smirk on her lips. I could tell what she was thinking. Was this what I wanted to trade my two days of silence for?

"Alban Avenue." I said, then waited to see Kisara's response.

A huge smile broke out across her face. "Thank you dear! Are you ready to go right now?"

"Answer her with words, would you?" Kara ordered, making it clear that I couldn't fall back into silence.

"Yes. I'm ready."

"Wonderful! Give me a second to change, then climb on!"

I brought a hand up to cover my eyes so the light wouldn't burn them. I got to my feet the moment she was a dragon. But before I climbed on her back, Kara stepped in front of me.

"Don't try anything stupid. Kisara may seem harmless, but she will do whatever it takes to keep you with her."

I stepped around her and climbed on Kisara's back. "I just want to see my brother."

Kisara took off then. I held on tightly, noting that her flight wasn't nearly as smooth as Krin.

However, flying to Alban Avenue was much faster than Krin and I walking. Within minutes, we were standing on the street. I steadied myself before trying to walk, still dizzy from Kisara's rough movements. A few seconds later, I felt a hand slip into mine.

"Which one is yours?" She asked.

I looked down at my hand that she was currently holding. I really wanted to shake it off, but since she had brought me here, I didn't want to push my luck.

"It is down this way." I answered, and began to walk in the right direction.

Kisara glanced around. "I flew over this road so many times. I cannot believe you were here all along."

"How long were you looking for me?" I asked, hoping to finally get an answer about how beasts found people.

"Ever since we came here. We knew that you were close, but we didn't know exactly where to look."

"How did you know I was in this area?" I continued, trying to see if there was anything at all she could tell me.

Kisara shrugged. "We just knew."

I stopped walking when we got to the house. I tested to see if the door was locked and was incredibly surprised to find that it wasn't. The door opened easily.

My keys were still on the table where I had left them. A part of my mind wanted to knock the table over as an act of anger. What had happened that morning still plagued my thoughts, and continued to annoy me even now. I considered taking the keys, but I doubted that I would be coming back, so they stayed on the table.

I walked straight back into the bedroom, but before I got there, I knew that I wouldn't be finding Mokuba inside. The door was open. And if the bedroom door was open, and the front door unlocked, there was no way Mokuba would be here.

I remembered hearing Mokuba's voice the other day in the slave market. Maybe that really was him. I had all but convinced myself that I hadn't heard anything that day, that all I heard was a figment of my imagination. But if that really was him, I had been just a few feet away. I had been close enough to him that I could have done something. Krin wouldn't have killed me for looking in a door, would he?

"He isn't here?" Kisara asked, peering into the bedroom.

"No, no one is here." I answered.

Kisara dropped my hand to look around the small house. Everything seemed to interest her. She picked up water bottles, shoes, opened all of the doors, including the refrigerator, and flipped through all of my books.

I did some walking around on my own, trying to decide where they had gone. The house still looked just about how I left it.

"Darling, what is this?" Kisara called out.

I glanced over my shoulder to see what she was talking about. But as soon as I saw what it was she was referring to, I immediately went to her.

"It is blood." I stated, staring at the wall where a hole was. I reached up to touch the spot. The blood was dry, so it was clearly from several days ago. But it was the hole that confused me. It was really small, about an inch long, but no more than a millimeter wide.

I looked down to the floor, and discovered what caused the hole. I reached down to pick up the knife, which Kisara immediately took from my hand.

"Why is there a knife hole in your wall covered in blood?" She asked, placing the knife in the opening to see if it fit. It slid in perfectly.

"I don't know. It wasn't there last time I was here."

"Well, that's weird!" Kisara said, suddenly forgetting the hole in the wall and continuing her examination of the house.

I left the knife sticking out of the wall. The thought of what happened there scared me. What if it was Mokuba's blood?

A blinking green light drew my attention to the computer. It was still on, so I walked over to it. I pressed a random key to bring it out of standby. The monitor came to life, and that was when I realized that I had never signed off. I had several messages from Wheeler and Tea, but the one that surprised me most was one from Yami.

**DuelKing1: **Kaiba. You need to get out of the city now. From how the Magician is acting, something is going to happen. Soon.

That was all it read. I exited out of all the other messages, leaving that box open. This was sent yesterday. But from what Krin had been saying, it was two weeks until anything was supposed to happen. Two weeks wasn't really soon, which left me to conclude that there was something else happening. Something that Krin was unaware of, and in turn, the rest of the day monsters were blind to.

I heard Kisara walk up behind me.

"What are you looking at, dear?" She asked, leaning around me to get a better view of the monitor.

"A message I was supposed to get yesterday."

"Who is it from?" She questioned, stepping closer.

"Yami. He and I were-" I paused, trying to think of the right word choice to describe my relationship with the duelist, "aquaintances from before."

"When he says 'the Magician,' what does that mean?"

I then understood her curiousity.

"The Dark Magician is holding Yami hostage."

Kisara frowned. "Is that what you think of us? That we are holding you hostage?" But then she smiled. "You won't feel that way for long! And you have a way to get in contact with the boy chosen by the Dark Magician?"

She phrased that last part as a question, but I could see her thoughts flying around in her mind. So I didn't answer.

"Is there a way you could find out where he is?"

"Maybe. I'd have to ask, and he can only get on the computer rarely." I answered.

Kisara chewed on her bottom lip. "Then I should tell Krin. This is pretty important for us. Do you have to be here for him to contact you? Or can it be any computer? The building we live on, you said you worked there as a computer technician. That means there are computers inside, right?"

"As long as the computer has internet access. The ones inside the building should have it." I responded.

"We should be going back now." Kisara said. she started to walk to the door, but I stopped her.

"Can it wait ten minutes?"

She looked confused. "Why? There is nothing here."

"I haven't had a shower in nearly a week. It won't take long."

And I was right. Ten minutes later, I was clean, standing in the bathroom pulling a shirt over my head. A good portion of my time in the bathroom was simply standing underneath the water. It felt great to finally be clean, and to be wearing clean clothing. Even though I was thrilled to finally be clean, the shower wasn't my only reason for asking to stay later. I wanted to get a change of clothing, much warmer ones.

"All most finished, Darling?" Kisara called. It had taken quite a bit of persausion to make her stay in the living room. She sounded very disappointed that I wouldn't let her come in to bathroom with me.

"I'm coming out right now." I called back.

I took one last look in the mirror before I left. Leaving while my hair was still wet was a terrible idea. I was basically forcing myself to get sick.

So when I stepped out of the bathroom, my eyes immediately went to the coat rack by the door. One of my hooded sweatshirts was missing, but there was another one there. That would certainly help.

I walked to the door and pulled the hoodie off the rack. I pulled it on, then layered my coat over it. As odd as it might look, I would be warm.

"Your hair looks very wet." Kisara said, coming to stand beside me. Then she added, "Sorry your brother wasn't here, Darling."

"Me too." I answered softly.

We both walked out of the house, and I pulled the hood up to cover my head.

The flight back was the same as the flight to the house, only, I had too many thoughts spinning around in my mind. My priority was finding out what happened to Mokuba. I mentally hit myself for not leaving a note in case he stopped by. I could have let him know where I was or that I was okay. I should have done something.

When we landed, I slid off Kisara and planted my feet firmly on the roof. Kara walked over to me and began to talk while her sister changed back into the human form.

"Are you finally ready to talk?" She questioned.

I glanced across the roof where I saw Krin had returned. He walked over, and soon, I was surrounded by all three dragons.

"Krin! My beautiful Seto has a way to talk to the boy that the Dark Magician chose!" Kisara shouted, throwing her arms around my neck and kissing my cheek. I flinched, but didn't pull away from her. If I had done so, I would only be causing them anger.

"You do, slave?" Krin asked, his face showing more interest than I had seen displayed on it since my kidnapping.

"I just need to get to the computers inside." I answered.

"Are you sure he can?" Kara asked. She didn't look confident that I was telling the truth.

"I saw the message on his computer. It was real. We can find out where they are hiding!"

Krin examined my face, searching for any signs of deceit.

"Then let's go inside."

* * *

End! Well. . . I was going to add Mokuba's POV, but I can't seem to get it written right. So, I'll add it later on. I just wanted to update since I haven't in quite a while.

Review please!


	9. Nine

**LuoLiBei: **Thanks! And it was totally your review that got me to finish this chapter. Occasionally, I just need a reminder to work on this story. And your review wasn't really mean, I knew exactly what you were talking about. There are things in those stories that do really bother me, and if I were writing it now, I'd certainly change them.

**Chocomintkt: **I'm glad you like the plot. And I can't stand Kisara from the Canon version. I mean, she has almost no character. This Kisara is much more entertaining, wouldn't you say? She may be a creeper (good word choice, by the way!), but she is so much fun to write. Thanks for the review!

**Cayannamon: **You think so? Because I think he may need to pop a whole bottle of happy pills. . . not that I'm encouraging drug use!

**BlueFox of the Moon: **Well, I can't say that he'll remain warm, but I did feel that he needed a good night's sleep. And the silent treatment seemed like something Mokuba would do more than Seto, but who ever said that you couldn't steal a trick from a younger sibling?

**Seto K4iba1: **Sorry it took so long! Haha- hopefully I'll be back with another update much sooner, but. . . no promises.

**ZQuill: **I like where the plot is going too. Haha. This really was the first story you read? How cool! And I know exactly what you are talking about when you say it switches between first and third person. Some times, I forget that I'm not writing in third person, and it just slips out. I'm going to go back and fix those at some point. And I don't know about doing Yami's POV. I don't really love his character, but he might show up at some point. Who knows? (Not me!)

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination: **Sorry I didn't respond in the last chapter, I completely forgot to do so. Haha. But I'm glad you like it! And you were right when you said I was focusing on the Kaibas, and I can't say if I'll put any extra details about other characters in the story, because honestly, I don't know what I would do with it. Thanks for the review!

**KiaCoral: **Sorry you had to wait so long, but I hope this is worth it! I'm giving you my longest chapter yet!

**Teribane: **So. . . not my reminder this time. Haha. As for your first question (which I'm sure you'll have to go look up to remember what it is), you'll find that out in the next chapter. . . or maybe the one after that. And for the Flame Swordsman, I'll go ahead and tell you that isn't going to happen. We may have seen the last of him for a while.

**AyaseFanGirl: **That chapter was short, but I'm making up for it here! Enjoy!

* * *

Seto's POV

I slept much longer than I should have. But no one woke me up, and the couch was the most comfortable surface I have sat on in the past week. So I slept all throughout the night and through a good part of the morning. A part of what was keeping me asleep was the fact that when I woke up, I would be thrown back into the world of monsters.

As I laid on the couch, I could tell that I wasn't alone in the room. The dragons had been very good about keeping me from ever being alone. I couldn't blame them. I had every intention of running away the first chance they provided.

Prying my eyes open, I glanced over to see who was in the room with me. I had to rub at my eyes several times before I could see anything.

Kara was sitting at the computer. Her fingers were tapping impatiently against the desk as she stared at the screen. She looked over when I started to sit up, the expression on her face clearly displaying boredom.

"How long does it take for him to get on?" She asked.

I yawned before answering, trying to shake the tiredness that still lingered over me. "He gets on when he gets the chance. It can be anywhere from days to weeks."

She groaned and went back to finger tapping. I ran my fingers through my hair quickly, trying to smooth out what I was certain was a complete mess. Without a mirror, I just had to guess when my hair bore some semblance of normality.

When I finished, I looked out the window to see if I could tell what time it was. It was very bright outside, which lead me to believe that it was much later than the day than I had previously assumed.

I kept looking out the window. It was nice to be back in a familiar setting, even if we weren't in my office. The room I had lead the dragons to was my CFO's office. I didn't want to run the risk of them seeing my name printed on the door to my office and figuring out that I was actually the owner of this building.

It had taken me a while to get the internet back up. None of these computers had been used in a year, and dust had managed to work its way into the machinery. The first one I tried to turn on had over heated and nearly caught on fire. I took the time to clean out the next computer before the second attempt.

Krin had left after an hour. He said that the light monsters were preparing for some invasion, and he had to go lead it. But before he left, he told Kara to come find him if Yami ever told me where he was.

Kisara stayed much longer. She and Kara took turns staying with the computer as I slept, although Kisara managed to keep me awake most of the time she was in the room. She didn't talk to me, but insisted upon singing the entire time. Her lyrics were clearly written by herself. I could tell because it was a love song, about me. It included my name, how much I loved her, and how one day, I planned on running away with her to live out our lives together.

It was a really long song. And when she reached the part where we died, she promptly started over.

But she had finally left when she declared that she was hungrier than she had ever been. It was a fact I doubted was true.

Kara turned to me once I had finished stretching.

"Come over here."

I debated over disobeying. The odds of her taking drastic action were slim, but the more I resisted, the less she would leave me alone.

So I walked over, but I stopped when I reached the edge of the desk. I was just out of her arms reach where I stood. However, I knew that it wouldn't last long.

"Sit down." She said.

There were no chairs other than the one she was sitting on. That led me to believe that she wanted me to sit on the floor. I really didn't want to sit on the floor.

"Why?"

"Because I said so." She said. But she didn't wait for me to respond. She quickly leaned forward and grabbed hold of my arm, pulling me towards her. Only seconds later, I was on the ground beside her feet.

She began to run her fingers through my hair, an action that I realized was petting. She wasn't being very gentle either, every time her hair came up, she brought more strands of my hair with her.

"What are you doing?" I asked, wincing as she tore more hair out.

"Taking out frustration." She said, repeating her previous action.

"Unless you want me to be bald, you should probably stop." I said, trying to lean away from her hand. But Kara grabbed onto my hair and pulled me back.

"I want you right here." She said.

I heard a ding coming from the computer, and Kara finally released her grip on me. From my location at her feet, I couldn't see the screen.

"Who is Boston boy?" Kara questioned.

I tried to lean my head back to see the screen, but Kara pushed my head back down.

"It is not Yami. He is someone else." I answered.

"Why did he call you Kaiba?"

I bit my lip. Since we were currently sitting inside KaibaCorp, answering would result in the dragons watching me even closer. I was hoping to keep that fact from them, but how could I get around that now?

"What exactly did he say?" I asked, trying to stall for time to think over my next response.

"'ey Kaiba, where you been?" Kara said, slowly speaking each word. She sounded disgusted over the sentence, as was I. Wheeler had a horrible way of speaking and typing.

"Kaiba? Isn't that the name of this building?"

Kara looked over in the direction of the door when she heard her sister's voice. I pushed myself deep into the desk, trying with all my strength to disappear, or at least to think of some excuse.

Would they believe that I got the job because my uncle owned the place? But if they could actually read lies, then that would never work. The computer technician detail convinced Kisara, but that was actually part of my job. I did work with computers, quite frequently. Gozaburo did own the company at one point though. I could say that my father was Gozaburo Kaiba, that this was his company, but that wasn't actually true either.

And that would still mean that I knew my way around the building. If my father owned it, then that would be just as bad as my owning it myself. I had no possible explanation.

"It is." Kara answered.

She moved her chair back so she could glare at me, but Kisara came forward and knelt down in front of me. I couldn't look at either of them, so I stared down at the floor.

Kisara wouldn't have that. She reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at her.

"Is your name Kaiba?" She asked.

I wanted to simply nod my answer, but with Kisara holding my gaze forward, I had to answer. "Yes."

"But I thought your name was Seto." Kara stated.

"I've got more than one name, everyone does. Seto is my first, Kaiba my last." I said, hoping my explanation was simple enough for two animals to comprehend.

The two dragons looked at each other. I couldn't tell what they were thinking, but it was apparent that the two of them could tell. While they were communicating with their eyes, Kisara started rubbing her hand against my cheek. That was the first time I noticed how similar her fingernails were to claws.

"Why is it-" Kara asked, glaring at me threateningly, "That you didn't tell us this as soon as you were brought here?"

I waited to answer until Kisara's hand was safely away from my mouth. When Kara didn't press, I assumed that she understood the reason for my hesitation.

"Because I didn't see why it was important." I answered, trying to keep a straight face and steady breaths. But that didn't fool the two girls.

"You're lying to me dearest! Tell me the truth!"

Kara smirked and slid off her seat so she was crouched on the floor next to her sister. "Isn't it obvious, Kisara? He was hoping to be able to escape with that piece of knowledge. After all, I'm sure that he knows the building well enough to evade us."

I had never seen such a hurt expression on anyone's face. Kisara looked as though her entire world had just been destroyed.

"My Love, is that true?" She questioned with a voice so quiet, I barely heard it.

"I can't stay here, Kisara." I said. I made sure to stay her name with the hope that some personalization would keep her from growing too angry with me.

"And why ever not? Haven't I been perfect to you? What have I done wrong?" She exclaimed.

I tried not to roll my eyes at her child-like shouting. My mind pulled memories of Mokuba's similar tantrums as I tried to decide how to respond. With my brother, candy or a movie usually worked. But I had no clue as to how to treat an upset dragon.

"I have to find Mokuba."

That at least got Kisara to stop shouting, but she still looked upset. I could even see tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Kisara, take over for me. I'm going to have a talk with our brother." Kara said, then got off the floor and left the room.

I almost wanted her to come back. Leaving me in a room with her overly-emotional sister was probably the worst punishment she could think of, and I couldn't help but agree with that thought. My breath was caught in my throat because I was too afraid to make a sound. Kisara looked like a bomb that just needed the slightest motion to set it off.

After Kara left, Kisara didn't say a word. She took her sister's place in front of the computer and stared blankly at the screen. So I began to weigh my options. I needed to get out of here, now. If even Kisara was upset with me, then I had no chance of having her help getting to Mokuba. She may have been friendly yesterday, but she currently was angry. I had to get out, now.

I began pouring through all possible exit strategies. KaibaCorp was a large building, and one that was easy to get lost in. I had to show the dragons around, which led me to believe that they had never been inside before last night. If I could just get away from Kisara for a few seconds, I was certain that I would be able to get out without problem.

When would Kisara leave me alone though? I couldn't simply ask to leave, and there wasn't a possibility that she would leave the room. What did that leave me with?

I needed an excuse to go somewhere that would give me an excuse to go somewhere that I could easily escape from. There were rooms in KaibaCorp with multiple entrances, but Kisara would have to check each room before going in. And even if I did manage to get into one of those rooms, then how would I get in one alone?

There was a bathroom on the next lower floor that had a supply closet in it. To the best of my knowledge, that closet led to the air vents. The vents led to the basement before going to the roof, so I could get out at the bottom floor. From there, I had several options for getting out of the building. That only left the problem of my getting to that bathroom.

Kisara was still glaring at the screen. I didn't believe that she was in a very giving mood.

I could barely stifle the groan that I felt rise to my lips. I knew what I needed to do in order to get what I wanted.

"Kisara, I'm sorry. I should have told you." I said, not looking up at her. Instead, I looked down at the floor, putting on my most apologetic expression.

She snorted, but didn't say anything. So I continued.

"Really. It was stupid of me to think that you wouldn't find out, so I should have just been honest with you. Its just, Mokuba is so important to me."

"Am I not important to you?" She whispered, her voice cracking.

I didn't realize that dragons cried. But I was getting through to her.

"Kisara, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I just want to see that Mokuba is safe and taken care of. Can't you understand that?" I asked. Then I turned my head to look at her.

The dragon gave me a small smile before holding out her hand. I, not being quite sure what I was supposed to do with it, just extended mine as well.

She took my hand and pulled me up to her. I ended up on my knees beside the chair, kneeling next to her. My tongue was on fire from biting down on it so hard, but I didn't let up.

I even let her move her other hand across my face without pulling back. When she tried to pry open my lips I let her do so. I assumed that she was trying to see if I was being serious, and I had to put on a good show for her.

"Are you really sorry?" She asked.

"I really am." I answered.

She smiled. In one quick movement, she moved down and kissed me. And this time, to sell my charade, I kissed her back.

That really made her happy. When we broke apart, the expression on her face was one of pure delight.

"Oh darling! You do really mean it!" She exclaimed.

I managed to force a small smile onto my face. My act was really getting on my nerves, but I knew how important it was to keep it up. If she trusted me, she might let me be alone.

'_Mokuba, Mokuba, Mokuba. . . ' _I chanted in my head as she ran her fingers through my hair.

Now was as good a time as any to test how much ground I had gained back.

"Kisara, do you mind walking me to the bathroom?" I asked in my most innocent of voices.

She pressed her lips into a line. I could tell that she was thinking over my request, trying to see if there was any deception in my words. However, I did ask her to walk with me, so how could I be up to anything?

"Well, that's okay I suppose." She said, then looked to the computer. "What if he gets on while I'm not here?" She added.

"What are the odds of that happening, really? It will just be a few minutes." I said.

She nodded and stepped out of her chair. I followed to my feet and kept my hand in hers. She sent me a smile as we began on our way.

I was right, she didn't know her way around the building, so she didn't question our trip down the stairs. After all, she probably had no idea that there were many bathrooms on the very floor we had been on. She swung our joined hands happily, humming as we went.

When we got to the bathroom, I turned to the dragon.

"Wait out here for me?" I said, making sure that I was smiling at her.

She still looked suspicious. I could almost hear her thoughts as she debated whether or not to go in with me.

"I'll just be a few minutes." I lied, hoping that Kisara wasn't able to detect lies like Krin was able to.

"Okay, but just hurry up." She said, dropping my hand.

"Thank you." I said. She probably believed I was thanking her for letting me go in alone, but it was really for assisting me in my escape. My gratitude was very real.

I closed the bathroom door behind me, then immediately went to the closet to get to work. Unscrewing the bolts would be time consuming. Luckily, this was a supply closet, so there were the proper tools for my use inside.

I grabbed one and bent down so I could reach the grate that covered my exit. I moved quickly, turning the screwdriver as fast as my hands allowed.

When the first screw fell out, I caught it and placed it to the side, behind a shelf. I did the same with the other three since I was hoping that Kisara wouldn't know where I went for several minutes. I didn't want to leave her any clues.

I picked up the cover and placed it right next to the opening so I'd be able to reach it once I was inside.

I crawled in the the vent backwards so I would have no difficulty reaching the cover. When I had it back in place, I began to crawl further into the vent. I needed to traverse a large distance before I was discovered to be missing.

I was when I reached the first intersection when I heard Kisara's voice.

"Seto dear? Where are you?"

I kept moving as her voice turned frantic.

"Seto? Seto! Come out right now!" She shouted, and I could tell she was into the closet.

By that time, I had moved far enough away that if she came in after me, it would be near impossible to catch up to be before I was in the basement. Once I got to that point, they would have no idea that I had even left the ventilation system.

But I wasn't out yet.

* * *

Mokuba's POV

Try as I might, my arms and legs were not long enough to reach that paper clip. I knew that one paper clip wouldn't be much use to me, but I still had to try something. It sat in front of me for days, unmoving and out of reach. The children had gotten bored of watching me and had gone back to hiding their faces in their knees.

I knew that I needed their help, at least, the one closest to the paper clip. It was a young girl, maybe six or seven, and she hadn't lifted her head up once, not even when the monsters had entered. Getting her to look up had been a problem. No matter how hard I tried, she wouldn't give me any attention.

"Hey." I whispered, loud enough that she could hear me. But she didn't even look up.

"I know that you have been able to hear me. Please look up." I continued, but no response.

I noticed that I was getting several glances from other children in the room. Nearly all of them were staring at me now. Not that they were any help to me.

Then I saw another paper clip across the room, one I hadn't noticed before, and it was within arms reach of another child. And this kid was looking at me curiously.

"Hi. Can you throw me that paperclip next to you?" I said, making sure that the boy knew who I was speaking to.

His eyes opened up wide, and shook his head. I bit my tongue angrily when he put his head back down. That wasn't what I had in mind to happen. Certainly one of these kids had to help me.

"Will anyone give me a paperclip? It isn't going to hurt you just to give it to me." I said, making sure that I looked at every child individually. Just maybe I could find one brave enough kid to do such a small thing.

It was a little girl that responded first. She hesitantly reached out a hand to grab the clip, then she just stared at it for a while. It seemed to be as though she was thinking over what she was about to do.

I couldn't decide whether or not to attempt to encourage her. If I spoke up now, she might choose not to carry through with assisting my escape. Then again, she might only throw it over if I did say something more.

My final decision was just to extend my chained hand towards her. No words, but a small sign that I needed her help. I kept it held out until she made another move, and that took several minutes. But when she finally did look my in the eyes, she accompanied the glance by tossing the paperclip in my direction.

"Thank you." I said, truly grateful. I had to lean forward, getting to the very edges of my reach in order to grab the clip. When it was in my hand, I pulled back quickly, and was immediately glad that I did.

The door swung open quickly, hitting the wall behind it with a loud crash. Any child who had been looking up immediately hid their face once more. I stayed staring ahead, not wanting to appear afraid to the man who didn't blink.

The look on his face made me want to be afraid though. The smug expression let me know what he was about to say before he even spoke a word. He knew about Kuriboh.

"Morning boy. Guess who I found!" He exclaimed. He closed the door behind him and came over to crouch down in front of me. I didn't answer his question.

"Still not going to talk to me? That's fine I suppose, I'll be more than happy to do the speaking. I have something to gloat about, you see." He said, lingering his speech for a second. Between his words, he reached out and pulled my head close to his. I wrinkled my nose in distaste as he continued speaking.

"Your owner is Kuriboh, is it not? It may have taken me a while, but I found out who you were running from. Am I right?" He asked, then waited to see a response. I didn't flinch as we stared each other down, even though the very thought of that pathetic beast being my owner made me want to scream. He may have figured it out, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of watching me crumble.

"I'm going to take that as a yes. Congratulations, you will be home soon."

He started scratching at the back of my neck with one of his fingers, but I still didn't move. He was playing with me, searching for any type of reaction. He was looking up and down my body, and every time he glanced to my hands, I silently panicked. If he saw the paper clip, I might be in more trouble that I was already.

He suddenly threw me backwards, knocking my head into the wall. I groaned in pain, but lifted myself back up to face him.

"Brave child, are you not? I suppose I should tell you that you will be spending a bit longer in my home here. Your owner is currently out, and we cannot seem to find him. He is one of the weaker of our kind, and cannot even transform figures, so it is a bit more difficult to get word to him. But until we do, stay comfortable." He said. He then proceeded to stand up and step backwards. When he reached the door, he added one final comment.

"Maybe I will send a few of those chains with you. I am sure your owner would appreciate the restraint."

Then he closed the door. I waited motionless to hear the sound of the lock being put into place, but it never came. Either he forgot to lock the door, or he just didn't think it was necessary.

I started to work then. I unfolded the small piece of metal to see how long it was, then had to fold it in half in order to keep it from being to weak. But even then, I could tell that it wouldn't be enough. I needed another one.

I turned back to the young girl sitting next to me and attempted once more to get her talking.

"It is kind of cold in here isn't it?" I started, stating the first topic that came to my mind. Of course I knew that it wouldn't work, but I needed to try something. If that beast was going to send me back covered in chains, I would have no chance of escape. With a war pending arrival, I needed to get Seto and myself out of the city.

"I know that you are scared. Trust me, I am too. But if I can get out of here, I can help. I can do good and maybe find a way to rescue you as well. I'm not saying that I will be able to, but at least we can have a chance." I stated.

The girl reacted that time. She barely glanced up from between her knees before burying her head again. But I knew that I was getting through to her, so I went on.

"I have a brother. His name is Seto. He is the only family that I have left. He is why I ran away. I needed to help him because he was chosen."

She, along with nearly everyone else in the room, was giving me their full attention. Now there was just the one thing left that I needed her to do.

"I can't help him if I am stuck here. That is why I need your help, because without that paperclip, I have absolutely no chance of saving him." I said, finishing by stating my fear. I hoped that by telling her the truth, she would trust me.

The girl started crying, and to my horror, shook her head. She did so until it was back in its original position, a position that was no good to me.

Now it was me who wanted to cry. Getting her help had been my only hope of breaking out. I was doomed to go back to that terrible house and be locked in that bedroom for the rest of my life. And all because some girl wouldn't hand me a office supply.

I tried with the one that I had, even though I knew that it wasn't sturdy enough. I felt the pins inside the lock on the chain connecting my wrist to the wall, but they wouldn't move. All I managed to do was bend the one paperclip that I had.

Giving up wasn't an option in my mind, so I kept trying. My eyes were on the paperclip just out of my reach as I moved the one I had around in the lock. I had convinced myself that all I needed was that one thing. I knew how to pick a lock, but not without the proper equipment.

I brought both of my hands to my face so I could take a breath without letting the kids see how afraid I was of being kept here. I didn't want to take away any hope that they might have.

"Sir? Came a voice from a few feet away. I lowered my hands and glanced over. It was one of the kids who had been hiding for nearly the entire time I'd been in here. She was older than most of the others in the room, maybe by three or four years.

The girl's hand was pointing to me, and at the end, I could see another paperclip.

A smile broke out onto my face. "Thank you." I said, reaching out to get close enough for her to hand it to me.

"Make sure your brother is safe." She said as I took the clip from her hand.

"I will." I answered, more confident than I had been before. I never thought that the process of picking the lock would be simple, but I had managed to pick a few in the past. After being kidnapped on several occasions, I decided that it would be a useful skill to acquire.

I unfolded my recently obtained item and placed it next to the other paperclip, then proceeded to put them both into the lock around my left wrist. If I was going to get out, then I would need to get acquainted with the inside of the device. I knew where the pins were, but getting them to move was the problem I was faced with. Every time I successfully moved on into its unlocked position, it slid back down when I tried to move the next one.

I pulled out the clips and stared at them for a moment, waiting for an idea to dawn upon me. There had to be a way to pick a lock without a leverage bar. This lock wasn't huge, so the two paperclips should be enough, but I had nothing to hold the pins in place once I had gotten them where I needed.

Then an idea struck me. I took the two clips and began to twist the ends together. The sharp ends cut at my fingers, but I didn't let that stop me. I twisted until I had a relatively straight piece of metal, and one that was hard to bend. Then, using the lock itself, I made a small bump at the end.

Now when I pushed a pin up and moved on to the next, the paperclip would catch the pin I had just moved and hold it in place.

I reinserted the makeshift lock pick into the chain and once more, started my attempt to break out.

There were five pins total, the first of which slid into place easily. I took a breath before moving deeper into the lock. I felt the pin catch and smiled. It was working.

I had to start over twice when I lost my grip on the lock pick, but I didn't let it discourage me. Eventually, I had all five pins up, and I slowly began to slide the lock.

The chain fell off my wrist and clattered to the floor. The sound drew the eyes of several children, who looked at me with apparent awe in their eyes. They were surprised that I succeeded.

So I got to work on the chains around my ankles, finding that after learning the proper technique, those two came off much faster. And when I was down to the last chain, I stopped. I was not left handed, so manipulating the right hand lock would be much more difficult.

My left hand was clearly not use to moving in the way I was trying to get it to. It took five minutes to get the first pin up, which I immediately lost my grip on.

I kept trying though. I knew that the more I tried, the better I would become at using my left hand.

And I was right. Eventually, after around an hour's worth of time, I got to the point I could get multiple pins up. From there, it was just a matter of time before the last chain fell off.

I stood up and stretched. That action had everyone looking at me, but I was so elated that I only faintly noticed. I pocketed the lock pick, figuring that it might be useful some time in the future.

I crept to the door, pressing my ear against it, listening for any sound that would signal me not to exit at that moment. When I heard nothing, I considered waiting a while longer to make certain nothing was on the other side, but I reconsidered. I'd only be waiting for someone to show up if I did that.

So I opened the door silently, pleased that my captor hadn't taken the time to lock it. I closed it quietly behind me. For the briefest of moments, I thought about letting out the two kids who had helped me. But I had to push that to the back of my mind. Doing so only risked my escape, so I kept moving forward.

There wasn't anyone in the hallway, and I couldn't hear any voices. I continued slowly forward, stopping at the first door I came to. This one I pressed my ear against as well, and found a quiet murmuring on the other side. So I passed that one by.

The next door I came to sounded quiet enough, so that was the door I went into.

The room was empty. It appeared to be an office, complete with desk, computer, file cabinet, and the like. It had the one thing I was searching for, a window on the back of the building. I didn't want to go out a door since I was more likely to be seen if I went out that way.

I peered out the window and didn't see anyone. I did my best not to make a sound as I slid the window up, but I couldn't prevent the screeching that came from time without being used.

But I didn't wait around to see if anyone heard. As soon as the opening was large enough, I climbed out.

The moment my feet made contact with the ground, I took off running. My plan was very simple, get as far away from that building as I could manage before my legs gave out. I didn't even bother running towards KaibaCorp; I just ran.

The sun was up, so I assumed that Kuriboh, and anyone he had looking for me, would be indoors. That didn't mean I wasn't at risk, but it kept me from hiding at every sound I heard.

I ended up three miles from my starting location when I lost my breath. At the first seemingly abandoned building I came to, I ducked inside. I found a small closet and hid there. When I caught my breath, I'd leave to return to my search for Seto, but until then, I'd wait here.

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Yes, I realize that it has been two months since an update, and we can blame that on my being lazy. I've got no excuses. However, since the last chapter didn't include Mokuba's POV, I found that now his and Seto's POVs are matching up really well. I mean, this chapter is about escape, the next chapter, something similar will happen to them both, and so on.

I do want to point out something about the whole lock picking thing. I tried it out several times so I could accurately write the scene. Every lock I found has been successfully picked with two paperclips. Just a bit of information there!

Reviews would be appreciated!


	10. Ten

Okay, so I had this ready to update last night, but the stupid Error Message 2 thing kept popping up. Well, it still is, but I cheated my way around it! I've got two accounts you see, so I just went to the old one I never use (which wasn't receiving the error message) and copied the link from the content/chapter section of one of those stories. I switched the two story IDs and TaDa! Chapter Ten. Enjoy!

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Cayannamon- Impressive timing with the review! Haha- and I'm glad you're interested to see how I plan on ending this. Hopefully that means you'll stick around until the end.

H-bomber- You feel sorry for Kisara? Haha- I don't, she's creepy. But no, the only romance is going to be one-sided. Do you really see Seto falling in love with an animal?

The Prime Director- Too bad Seto didn't have a rocket launcher on him when he was kidnapped. That might have been useful. And you'll be seeing the others in the future chapters. Actually, one of which will be in chapter eleven.

Chocomintkt- Lovable? No. Obsessive? Yes. And I like responding to reviews just about as much as I enjoy receiving them. *Hint

Aqua-Princess of Imagination- Nope. Life is never that simple. Haha- but don't worry, Seto and Mokuba will see each other again. . . eventually. Glad you enjoy the story!

AyaseFanGirl- I tried to make this chapter pretty long too. Enjoy!

Seto K4iba1- Picking locks with a paper clip is rough. I cut up my fingers trying to do so once and haven't made the same mistake since. Haha- hope to see you around, even after the long period between updates!

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Seto's POV

Kisara had crawled in after me. She wasn't being too graceful, so I managed to keep up with her progress by by listening to her banging on the walls of the vent.

She hadn't gotten far. If anything, she was loosing ground. She was a dragon after all, and dragons were probably use to a space larger than three square feet. Her only advantage was the fact that I, like her, had

no idea where I was going. The basement was my goal, but I had yet to find a way to move any lower.

This had me reconsidering my plan. If I couldn't find a way down in the vents, I would have to do it through the normal part of the building. But that would have me risk running into Krin or Kara. Still, I knew the building better than they did, but I didn't have confidence in my ability to escape when there were three of them against me. But all they would have to do was block off the staircases and I'd be trapped.

I came to an intersection and stopped to consider. The last grate I had seen was over the computer lab, so that put me where? It wasn't centrally located. If I took the left path, it would take me to the edge of the building, then likely backtrack. I didn't like that idea very much, so I decided to take the path to the right.

I tried not to think about what I was doing as I crawled along. If this situation wasn't so serious, then I never would have forced myself to crawl through the single most disgusting place I had even been in my life.

The situation was important though. Mokuba was out there somewhere and I needed to know that he was alright. I didn't want my brother to be anywhere near this war Krin had spoken of, so we had to go into hiding far away.

A sudden crash from behind me helped to remind me of what exactly it was I was running from. It sounded as though Kisara had picked up some ground, and quickly. Maybe I should have taken the left path.

I shook my head to refocus and keep moving forward. She grow louder and louder until I was certain that she was about to catch up with me. It was a clear sign that staying in the vents was no longer possible. Yet I knew that getting out would be a problem. The grates were screwed closed from the other side, an issue which I hadn't occurred to me until in the process of escaping.

So when I reached one of the grates, I stopped. I took a second to gaze out to see where I was, and was glad to see it was the break room for upper level employees. Since I would have to jump out, I wanted to have a surface other than the floor to land on. A table would be fine, as it would cut my falling distance by a few feet.

I shifted until I had my back to the opposite side of the vent and my feet were against the grate. The position was incredibly uncomfortable since my body was over twice the length of the space I was in, but I was sure that this was the only way to remove the object blocking my exit.

I pulled my legs back as far as they could go, which admittedly wasn't very far, and kicked both feet forward with all my strength. All that resulted was a loud clattering sound that I knew would draw unwanted attention. And that left me with the only option of trying again. If I quit now, all that I would have accomplished would have been to inform the dragons of my exact location.

This time, I dented the metal surface. The dent was small, but I kept going, over and over until a screw finally fell to the ground. After that one came out, it was only a matter of moments before the other screws followed suit.

Sliding out, I made sure that there was something beneath me to prevent me from falling the entire ten feet to the floor. The last thing that I needed to happen was for me to land on my ankle and be unable to run. Landing on the table certainly hurt since I didn't fall very gracefully, but I shrugged it off and immediately moved out of that room.

Even though I was running from three dragons who were set on keeping me as their captive for the rest of my life, I couldn't help but feel a sense of calm rush over me as I stepped into the halls of KaibaCorp by myself. It had been so long since I had been able to be in a familiar location without supervision. As I ran through the halls, it struck me that I had never actually done any running inside this building. Before that moment, there had always been someone around, and running in the halls wouldn't give off the best impression. But now I was running for an important cause, and there was no one watching me.

I pulled open the door to the staircase, jumped inside, then closed it behind me. It was my goal to make it to the ground floor before any of the dragons figured out where I had gone. I didn't start my descent immediately, but paused at the stop to glance down all eighty floors. Releasing a sigh, I then started, seeing how long it was going to take me.

I didn't move at full speed. I knew that if I grew too tired too fast, then I would have no chance of out running the dragons if they caught up with me. So I kept some energy held back as I moved down the stairs. I was counting them as I moved, an old habit I had picked up as a child, and the growing number of them was making me anxious. There were just so many. How could I possibly hope to escape when I had so much ground to cover? The only thing that gave me some comfort was the fact that my pursuers would have to run too. There would be no flying in these small, enclosed spaces.

A crackle drew my attention upwards. I glanced up back to where I had started and saw white lines of electricity spreading out above me.

They were in the staircase.

That was when I began running with everything I had. I did have a small head-start, but I was tired and they weren't. I ran the math through quickly in my head to see how many more floors I had to go. I had run down four-hundred and twenty-four steps so far, and with thirty-two steps per floor, I had only made it thirteen floors.

I had no chance of getting out of here if I stayed on this same staircase. There was one more in the building, but I had no way of knowing whether or not the dragons had spread out or not.

"Seto! Come back here right now!" Came the shout from above me, and I recognized it to be Krin. I then made the mistake of looking back up to where he was, and I met his gaze. The phrase "if looks could kill" never seemed to apply more than that moment. Krin's eyes held murder inside them.

"Stop." He commanded as more lightning shot above his head.

I broke eye contact and continued running. I could hear him continue shouting above me, and I made the quickly decision to leave the staircase at a specific floor. All of the upper floors of KaibaCorp were laid out in the manner, but the lower ones were easier to get lost in. So I decided that the fifty-second floor would be my exit. I wasn't very familiar with most of the lower levels since I didn't often have a purpose for visiting them, but the security offices had been located on my goal floor, and I knew my way around that one in particular.

Krin was getting closer. His footsteps above me were growing much louder, and he hadn't pulled the lightning back in, so it was slowly hitting closer to me. By the time I reached fifty-two, I guessed that he was only about five floors away from me.

I slowed down when I reached the door. Then as quietly as I could, I twisted the handle and only opened the door enough that I could slip through. On the other side, I pulled the door closed very gently. Once that I was done, I took off running once more.

I didn't hear the door open behind me after a few seconds, and I took that as a sign that Krin hadn't noticed my leaving the stairs. But I wouldn't count on that to last. If I could hear him moving, then he would notice that he could no longer hear me.

Moving towards the nearest staircase, I passed by Roland's office. A couple steps later, I stopped. There were most likely guns in there, and that would certainly be helpful in my escape. Roland had always been prepared for the worst, so whatever he had inside that room would more than likely be of help to me.

So I backtracked to the room and opened the door. I didn't get inside when I heard a painfully loud shriek coming from behind me. I spun around quickly to see what the sound was coming from, and was met with a small group of some kind of beast I had never seen before. They were all very small, and they were covered with a red and orange hair. Their eyes were nearly as large as their entire face, but they seemed small to me in comparison to their mouths, which were all opened a wide as imaginable. The shrieking didn't stop.

It was loud enough that I knew it would draw the attention to this area. I wasn't sure how long I had before one, or all of the dragons appeared, so I moved into the office and closed the door behind me.

A fast scan of the office showed that Roland wasn't as organized as I assumed him to be. That, or someone had come in and ransacked the room in the past year. The room was a mess, and I didn't see anything on first glance that would be useful. I didn't look at the top of the desk, since that mostly appeared to be papers scattered around. But the drawers and cabinets were my first priorities. Roland's desk was one of the very large ones that had shelves and cabinets built onto it, so it nearly reached the roof. Aside from that, another wall was entirely covered with televisions that he had used to monitor everything that was happening inside the building. Those currently weren't working.

The screams outside suddenly were silenced. I didn't waste a moment before moving to the back of Roland's desk. It had to be positioned a little less than a foot off the wall to give the cords space to be moved around and reached. That bit of space is where I was going to hide.

I stepped over to the desk and took at deep breath before sliding into the space. It was a tight fit, but I forced myself to keep moving in until I was centered behind the desk. Then I waited.

My arms were pinned to my sides. I regretted not keeping one up near my face to cover my nose and mouth since dust filled my hiding place. Breathing was getting more and more difficult as I stood motionless. With every breath, I was taking more and more of the small particles into my lungs.

The door to the room opened. And when that happened, my breaths stopped altogether. I didn't move while I listened to the footsteps traveling through the room, but I was certain that the dragon in the room with me would hear my heart pounding and realize where I was. I could clearly hear the beating as it pounded through my head; every beat felt like it would be my death.

Eventually I had to breath, and although I tried to make the breath as quiet as possible, it sounded to me like a hurricane had just passed through the room. How could the dragon not hear me?

With that last breath, I brought more dust into my body, and almost immediately, I felt a sneeze building up. I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on trying to force it back, but it wasn't working. It continued to build up, threatening to give away my position.

What would they do when they found me again? I had no doubt in my mind that it would happen, but I at least wanted to find my brother first. The chances of them understanding my situation , well, there wasn't a chance of that. I had to escape, and I couldn't be found.

But one of them was in the room with me, walking around searching through the room. Would my hiding place be sufficient? How could it be? I was standing behind a desk. A five year old playing hide-and-seek would chose this location.

The footsteps traveled out of the room. I waited to hear if the door would close behind the intruder, but I never heard it. The door remained open, so I remained still. It was my guess that they were going through every room near the floor I had exited the staircase on. By leaving the doors open, they could mark where they had searched, and keep a closer eye on where I might be going. Any closed door would be a sign that I was nearby. They certainly were trying to make this difficult for me.

I continued to focus on repressing the sneeze that continued to build. Just because the dragon was no longer looking over the room I was in didn't mean that it wasn't close.

I started to go over my situation. If they searched the floors around me, then they would either find me, or they would start moving down. I couldn't let them get to the ground floor before me, but how could I beat them down? There was no way for me to know if they had placed one of them outside already. Leaving could result in walking right back into their hands.

But if I stayed inside, I would be found eventually. Neither of these choices sounded promising.

Maybe I could stay long enough for them to finish with this floor, then try to leave. There were only three of them. If they had one outside and one searching through the floors, then that would leave only one to guard the stairs. There were two staircases, so if I chose the right one, I might be able to get to the lobby. However, that was counting on the fact that they had one outside. I didn't know how they had divided up. I knew that Krin was inside since he had been in the staircase. I assumed that Kisara was inside as well. Kara could be anywhere.

Any choice would be a risk, but I decided that the safest option would be to wait just a while longer, then try to leave once more. The only comforting thought I could think to calm me down was that knowledge that they wouldn't kill me. And even that wasn't very comforting.

After several more minutes of silence, I began to slide out from behind the desk. Once out, I took the time to brush the dust off that clung to my clothes. Then I moved to the open door.

I pressed my back next to the wall beside the entry and peered around the frame. The hallway was empty. The small monsters were no where to be seen, probably scared away by the dragon's earlier presence. There was one less thing for me to worry over.

I took a cautious step out of the room. I stayed close to the walls, hoping to avoid any creaks in the floor. The dragon's might have excellent hearing, and I didn't want to increase my chances of being found.

As I walked through the halls of KaibaCorp, I remembered how I had moved through the streets of Domino just over a week ago. I had become quite good at staying hidden during the time that the beasts had taken over the world. Learning how to move silently and invisibly had taken some time, but I was grateful that I had learned those things. All I could do was hope that it would now pay off.

And for a while, it seemed like it had. I chose to go back to the same staircase that I had come down on. It was the closest to me, and Krin wasn't stupid. He would have found the other staircase by now, and most likely would have assumed that is where I would have gone. If I was wrong, then I was wrong. I had to chose one, and there was no going back now.

I stood beside the door for a full minute before entering. I listened carefully for footsteps or voices on the other side that might signal me to stay away, but I heard none. So, mustering every ounce of will I possessed, I opened the door.

It wasn't until the door was closed behind me that I realized I had forgotten the reason I had stopped in Roland's office. I had been looking for a gun, which would have made me feel much safer as I once more began to descend down the stairs. There was no chance that I would go back now though. I wanted out of KaibaCorp.

This time, I didn't run. I walked very slowly down the stairs. If I heard anything, I promised myself that I would start to run, but for now, I didn't want to give away my location.

It seemed like it took me hours to walk down the stairs. I knew that was my mind in a state of panic making me feel that way, but thinking logically wouldn't help. How could anything be logical anymore while monsters controlled the world? For all I knew, time really was moving as slowly as I was imagining. The only thing that kept me from truly believing that was the rate at which my heart continued to beat. If time had been slowed, then my heart beats would have had to slow down as well.

I had to stop again to consider two options when I finally planted my feet on the bottom floor of the building. There were two doorways here. One would lead my into the lobby where I would have the only choice to exit out the front door. I was sure that door was locked, but the key was most likely still at reception. However, they might be waiting for me there, or watching the front door. The main entrance lead to the street, which would be a very open space.

The second door lead to an alleyway. It was my preferred choice of exit, however, it was an emergency exit. I didn't know if the alarm would go off or not. There was still electricity running through the building, since I could still access the computers. Could I risk opening the door?

The alley outside was small. The dragons wouldn't be able to enter it unless they were in their human form. That might allow me to put some distance between myself and them, but there was only so long I would be able to move between alleyways. I would have to go out into an open space at some point.

Plus there was the fact that they still had the lightning as humans.

A door opened on one of the floors above me while I was trying to decide. I couldn't tell how many stories up, so I acted. I chose the door to the alley, holding my breath as I opened it.

The alarm went off. I slammed the door behind me, but it continued to sound. Just before I started running, the sneeze finally came, but in comparison to the blaring alarm, it wasn't noticeable.

I heard a familiar roar almost immediately and realized that I had been right in assuming that one of them had stayed outside. A Blue-Eyes was circling over the building, staring at the ground below as it did so. And once again, I stayed close to the walls, hoping that the shadow from the building might keep me hidden. But I had to get away from KaibaCorp. If they knew what the alarm meant, then soon, all three would be looking for me outside. I didn't think that I would be able to avoid all of them.

As soon as the dragon flew to the opposite side of the building, I took that opportunity to cross the alley and run across to the adjacent building. And I continued in the manner for a while. Every time the dragon, which I assumed was Kara, flew to other side of KaibaCorp, I moved my position. But as soon as I saw all three siblings in the air, I knew that I had to hide. And wherever I hid needed to be somewhere they wouldn't look.

By this time, I was about three blocks away from my starting point. Taking into consideration the knowledge that they would have to look for me in all directions, I figured that this was as good a location as any to search for a hiding spot.

There was a door on the side of one of the stores near me and I tried it to see if it was open. It was, so I stepped inside.

I locked this door behind me before looking around to see where I was. It was some sort of old butcher's shop, but larger than I would have imagined one to be. There wasn't any meat left inside, but I could see the hooks on the roof where meat would have hung from, the vast assortment of knives, and display cases in the adjoining room. It was clear what this shop had been.

I started to walk around and opening doors, just to see what I had to deal with.

I got distracted. So much so, that I didn't hear the footsteps coming up behind me until it was too late. I felt something sharp press into my back just before I heard, "Who are you and why are you here?"

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**Mokuba's POV**

Choosing to rest in a small closet had been a good and bad decision. It had been good in the way that the odds of my being found were very slim. It was bad in the way that I barely fit inside, and it was far too small to lie down in. I had ended up sitting up with my knees pulled close to my chest. That position had been comfortable enough that I managed to fall asleep for a while. When I woke up, I decided that it was time to go find Seto.

Before I left the closet, I shifted very awkwardly until my head was on the floor beside the door. I closed one eye so I could peer through the crack. I was glad to find that daylight still shone through the windows in the other room, so I wouldn't run the risk of Kuriboh roaming the streets. Of course, he wasn't close to the biggest threat outside, but I was glad to have the one less thing to worry about. The second thing I was looking for was to see if anyone or anything had entered the office while I was asleep. As far as I could tell, nothing had.

So I stood up and left the closet. I looked out one of the windows before leaving the office. I could see KaibaCorp standing high above all the other buildings nearby. It wasn't too far away, maybe ten or fifteen blocks from where I stood. I could make it there within the hour if I moved quickly and carefully. I had no idea what I would do when I got there, but I would worry about that when the time came.

Once outside, I started towards my goal. I made sure to move slowly and quietly as not to draw attention to myself.

Since all I was doing was walking, there wasn't much to keep my attention. The city seemed quiet, which surprised me. There had to be hundreds, if not thousands, of monsters living here. Where were they all? I wasn't sure whether to take this as good fortune or something to be troubled over. But I didn't think about the reason the monsters might be staying off the streets. It was helping me out, allowing me to move faster, so I choice to think of it as good luck.

But without the constant fear of being caught outside, my mind started to wander. It traveled to the subject that had plagued my thoughts almost daily, to the one thing that I couldn't forget, no matter where I was or what I was doing.

What had happened to the world? The change had been almost overnight. Yugi had made the mistake of thinking nothing would happen when he tried to create the connection between the two worlds. He hadn't known that there would be no way to close the door once it was opened. Apparently, he had tried just about everything he had been able to think of to undo the damage, but it was far too late.

Was there a way to stop all of this? And if not, what would happen to the human race? If the monsters separated us all, then eventually, we would die out. How long would it be until there were only monsters left on earth?

I just felt like Seto would know what to do. I had always depended on him for everything. He was so smart, if he didn't know what to do, could anyone?

They were depressing thoughts, and I knew it. But there was no stopping them. How could I stop thinking them when everywhere I looked gave evidence of the monsters' invasion? Abandoned streets, boarded up buildings, the occasional beast; there was no getting away from it all.

I missed my old life. Sure, there had been some terrible times in there too, but at least I knew there was always a way out. This just seemed hopeless.

I broke the thought process to see how much further I still had to travel. Glancing up at the sky, I saw how much closer I was to KaibaCorp, but I also saw something that I hadn't seen before.

A dragon was circling in the sky, but not just any dragon. It was a dragon that I recognized easily because I had seen it so many times before. But no hologram could have prepared me for the beast above me.

Even from a distance, I could clearly see how massive it was. Seto's holograms hadn't been nearly as big. This beast almost made the card version appear cute. I had to stop moving because I was in complete shock. I hadn't expected it to be so intimidating. Not only was it huge, but I could even see its teeth bared in an obvious growl as its head moved from side to side. The claws at the end of each limb reflected the light, emphasizing how long and sharp they were. That thing had Seto?

Of course, I had no way of knowing what actually had Seto. It was just my assumption that the monster he had been hiding from was the one who had ended up taking him. For all I knew, it could have been any one of the beasts. However, since the Dark Magician took Yami, I figured that my assumption was a safe one.

It roared, and the sound filled the air for several seconds. It sounded angry, which might be the reason that no other monsters were out in the open. Maybe they were all hiding from _that_.

Then I started moving even slower, being extra careful to stay out of that thing's sight line. I stopped completely when the front door to KaibaCorp was in my sights. I now had to decide what to do next. With the dragon flying overhead, I wasn't sure how I was going to get to the building without being seen. And even if I got to a door, I had no way of knowing whether or not it would be locked.

A sound caught my attention. Was that an alarm? I could barely hear it from my position, but it seemed like it was coming from the building in front of me. How long had it been going off? Had it just started?

While I was thinking, I heard something else. Footsteps. I spun around to see where they were coming from and was met with a figure standing roughly ten yards away from me.

It was a man. He was tall, probably just under seven feet, and he had the whitest hair I had ever seen. He was glaring sharply at me, with a blatantly irritated expression.

Neither of us moved. I was terrified, both of this new presence, and of stepping out into the street where the dragon might see me. I hoped that he would choose to walk away, but my life was never that easy. Instead of walking away, he moved closer, crossing his arms as he did so.

"Have you seen a boy come through here?" He asked, his tone dangerously forceful.

I opened my mouth to answer, but I found that I was too afraid to form words. The best I could manage was to mouth the word no, but he kept moving closer.

"I asked a question." He said. It was clear that he was demanding an answer, but I still couldn't work out a sound.

I stared at him as he moved closer, noting how much more frightening his glare was with the shade of his eyes. They were a bright blue. Almost bright enough that they created a light of their own, and they were staring straight through me.

"Answer me!" He shouted, and as he shouted, a streak of white electricity shout out from his body. It hit the wall to the left of us, turning the bricks black.

Something in my head clicked just before I whispered, "I haven't." Keith had mentioned there being more than one.

I couldn't meet his eyes when he was standing directly in front of me. He quickly reached out to grab my wrist, an action which pulled a gasp of pain out of me. My wrists were still raw from the chains that had covered them over the past week, and he was squeezing with great pressure. I watched as he pulled my sleeve back to examine the red skin. He scraped his nails across the surface, and I had to bite down on my tongue to keep from screaming out.

"Do you know what our kind does to run-aways?" He asked.

"Brother! Did you find him?"

The shout made us both turn to see the source. It was a girl who was very similar in appearance to the man that held me. There was no denying the fact that she was pretty, but I was busy trying to decide if these were all Blue-Eyes.

When she saw my face, she frowned. "Oh. That's not him." She said, disappointment evident.

"No. He is just some run-away slave." Her brother answered. Right after he spoke, he threw me into the wall where the bricks had become black.

And once again, I didn't move. There was no where I could go. They were standing on either side of me, staring at me.

But a look of shock came across the girl's face. She cocked her head slightly while she furrowed her forehead in intense concentration. She pulled a hand up to her chin and parted her lips.

"Come here." She said.

I didn't move at first, but a glare from her brother had me walking slowly over to her. I wasn't sure what she was doing, but I didn't want to further upset the already upset man.

When I was within the girl's arm reach, she reached out and pulled me close to remove the distance between us. The first thing she did was gently pick up one of my hands. Her fingers traced the lines of my palms, then traveled up to my fingertips. She ignored the marks on my wrists, only focused on the shape of my hands. After feeling every inch of my hands, she brought her fingers up to my face. She put her thumbs underneath my chin and tilted it up so I was staring into her eyes.

"Kisara, what are you doing?" The other asked, but she gently responded by shushing her brother.

She continued tracing the outline of my face, moving from my jaw up to my cheeks. I could tell that her fingers were searching for the bones underneath my skin because she was only feeling the areas where the bones were slightly raised. And after that, she switched to feel my nose, tracing a line from between my eyes and going down until my mouth.

Finally, she moved all the hair out of my face and examined it as a whole. It was only a moment before she smiled. She pulled her hands away to clasp them together and place them underneath her chin.

"You're Mokuba, aren't you?" She asked.

I nodded once, feeling more confused than I had at the notion of the three dragons surrounding me. "How-?" I began, but I couldn't finish the question.

"You look just like your brother. Krin, doesn't he look exactly like Seto?" She reached out and put an arm around my shoulders to position me to where Krin could more easily look at me.

"I suppose they look similar. Of course, I didn't pay Seto quite the attention that you did, sister."

"Where is Seto?" I asked.

"He escaped to find you." Krin answered.

I groaned. "Figures."

Kisara giggled. "But Krin! This is good. If we hold on to Mokuba, Seto won't leave once we find him. He will be with me and his brother, so he will be happy." She pulled me closer to her in a protective manner.

"Because his happiness is what is important." Krin said. It was clear that he was being sarcastic, but he didn't argue with her logic. Instead, he added, "Take him to the roof. I'll stay with Kara and continue looking for our slave."

Kisara pulled me out into the street in front of KaibaCorp, not bothering to say anything else to her brother. She walked to the front door of the building and told me to stay as far away from her as possible. "And close your eyes," she added. "It might hurt if you look until this is over."

She stepped away from me, moving until she stood in the middle of the wide street. So I closed my eyes like she said, and just a moment later, a bright light shone through my closed eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter, but even that couldn't keep out the burning glow.

When the light finally died away, I slowly opened my eyes and was met with the real form of the Blue-Eyes. Her head turned to look at me, then she winked. While I was standing there, her tail came to me and wrapped around my waist. Seconds later, she jumped, and into the air we flew.

****

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Review and be my hero.


	11. Eleven

**Lace Kyoko- **Welcome new follower! I loved the day when you started reviewing all my stories, because I was in classes, and I kept getting emails to my phone. So it made my day way better. Haha- and you even read Havisham! How random! That story is so old. My little sister dared me to write a story based off Great Expectations, and that is what I came up with. Hope you keep reading!

**j bear- **But missing that last chapter might have been a good thing. That way, you didn't have the horrible cliff hanger, and you were left wondering for two months whether or not Seto would escape. And I am so happy that you really got into the chapter. It took me so long to write because I wanted it to turn out just like it did. Thanks for the review!

**Luxord's Xigbar- **Okay, so I really want you to review this chapter so you can answer me a question. What on earth does your username mean? Oh, and answering the questions you asked. . . do you really want me to tell you all of that now? Or would you rather just read this chapter and find out? Haha- all of those things you asked are pretty much plot points, which means that you'll find out eventually. And yes, butcher's shops are creepy. Exactly why I'm setting the scene there.

**ZQuill- **I'm glad you enjoyed the little details. The stair counting thing just really seemed like something that Seto would do on an every day basis, so why wouldn't he do it to measure distance? I hope this chapter makes you love the story even more! (And why won't it let me type your name the right way? It does that every time! Haha)

**Chocomintkt- **Mokuba getting captured. . . you had to know that was coming. It is like the epitome of that poor kid's existence. Is there a season of Yugioh in which he DOESN'T get kidnapped? You would think he would learn eventually. And I LOVE KISARA. I didn't originally, but the more I write her character, the more I like her. She is so incredibly creepy, it is fun to write.

**Shinryu-Twilight Dragon- **Kisara? Creative? Haha- she has a line in this chapter that cracks me up. Like, I based her character off one of these lines. See if you can figure out which one it is. It might not be so obvious, maybe it will be. Haha- . . . . Mako? Haha- I don't get that at all! Where did you come up with that?

**Havelock Vetinari- **A couple people have asked about the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. I think that I'm just going to be leaving that out in this story. I didn't originally think of it, so I didn't work it into the plot. I had to google LightSworn . . . so no. They won't be showing up. Haha- I don't really follow the card game. And I'm sure I'll explain this somewhere, but the Light and Dark monsters are the main two forces. However, the other ones, (wind, earth, fire, water. . . etc.) are all split between the two. I have a list on my desk of who is one which side, that way, I can keep track of it all.

**Teribane- **Haha- please don't swear. There is no need to! But if you would like to have a rant about cliff hangers, be my guest. I honestly don't like reading stories that have them, but I understand the need for them. Haha- Seto getting trapped by Kuriboh. You just know that has to happen, right?

**AyaseFanGirl- **Um. . .Thanks! I'm thrilled to hear that you like it so much. (Want to know a secret? This is one of my favourite stories on the site too. Haha). And I love how you enjoy the cliff hangers. Teribane (Who in case you didn't notice, is the review directly above you) didn't seem to enjoy where I left off. Oh Mokuba, poor kid. I'm so mean to him. And Seto. And another character in this chapter. I just can't write a happy story. Seriously, if you have looked at my other series, From the Dead-Arose Power, then you'd see that. (But I don't suggest looking at it. Haha- I wrote that SO long ago. It doesn't even resemble this story)

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination- **I wouldn't say that the universe hates them. . . I just enjoy torturing them. Haha- it is so typical of the show to keep them separated, I just became accustomed to it.

**Aksehsnarf- **Thank you! And you aren't the first to bring up the fourth Blue-Eyes. The way I have this story set up now doesn't include the fourth. However, if I decide to do a sequel, the fourth will be in there. But that is only if I do a sequel. Who knows? Maybe I'll just add the second half on here, or maybe I just won't do it at all. Haha- I can't figure out how the sequel would end. Luckily, that would be a long time in the future, so I don't have to worry about it now.

_Note: There were other people who reviewed, but I try to respond just to continual reviewers, or to those who I feel the need to respond to. And for that one completely anonymous reviewer, yes. There will be more monsters. _

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**Seto's POV**

"I said, who are you?" Growled the voice from behind me. I knew that it belonged to the person or beast currently holding me in place with the edge of a blade. I tried to turn my head to see who it was, but the blade dug deeper into my back.

So I stared ahead as I responded, "My name is Seto."

"Well, _Seto," _The voice spat. "How did you find us here?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. I was just trying to get off the street for a few minutes. If you let me, I'll leave now." I said, hoping to feel some of the pressure slide from the blade.

"You aren't here for my darling?"

A hand quickly landed on my arm, gripping it tightly to spin me around. When I was facing my current captor, I quickly realized that she wasn't human.

I recognized her. I really did. She had long brown hair with a matching eye color, and she sported a stern glare within them. Her entire upper body was covered in armor, all the way from her neck down to her gloved hands. I had expected to find her legs armored as well, but instead, she was wearing a very short pair of shorts. Around each thigh was a sheath for a knife, and the rest of her legs were covered with a tall pair of boots. But I couldn't place her.

"Your darling?" I questioned. From what I could deduce, she had taken the same claim to someone that Kisara had taken with me. By her darling, she most likely meant, her companion.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about!" She shouted, lifting her glowing blade up to my throat. I held my hands up in surrender and leaned back.

"I swear, I don't know who you are referring to." I said as I took a step backwards. She filled the space between us, making sure to keep the sword pressed firmly against my throat.

"You don't? Prove it!" She shouted, and began pushing me back into an adjoining room.

My eyes darted around the room once we were inside, trying to decide where exactly I was. From what I could see, it appeared to be an old walk-in freezer. What had me most worried was how thick the door was. It had to be at least six inches wide.

"Kaiba?"

I groaned quietly as I recognized the voice, realizing that I did in fact, know "her darling." The girl examined my eyes, as if reading my thoughts.

"Seto Kaiba then? Liar." She said as she raised her sword in a motion ready to strike.

"D.D.! Please don't hurt him!"

Since the sword was no longer on my neck, I turned to look at the second speaker.

Ryou was standing on the other side of the small room. His eyes were wide with fear as he pleaded with the girl warrior. I couldn't help but return him a similar expression. He was chained up, his arms hanging from the roof. Since this was a freezer in what once was a butcher's shop, there were hooks on the ceiling were the meat once hung. That was where Ryou was trapped, in the chains dangling down.

"My love, do you know him?" The girl asked.

"Yes dear, but just barely. He is harmless and not here for me." Ryou said, his eyes silently begging for her to calm down.

"Then why are you here?" She asked, repositioning her blade against my chest. I could tell that she didn't trust me, and in her current state of mind she just might run me through.

"I was just trying to get off the streets." I repeated.

"Why?" She asked, pressing the blade harshly against me so I had to take several steps back. She didn't let me stop walking until I was standing next to Ryou. I glanced up and saw more chains above my head and immediately felt a sinking sensation in my gut.

"I heard something. I was afraid." I said, trying to keep as much of the truth in my words as possible. Maybe she could sense the lies like the dragons, maybe not. But either way, I wanted to keep this woman from slicing her sword through me.

She glared at me. Her eyes narrowed with hatred as she did so. It was apparent that she didn't appreciate my sudden presence and that she was worried about the possibility of my taking Ryou from her. I wished that I could explain to her exactly why it was I was running, but my mind had been fast at work. I knew that I recognized her. Over the years, I had developed a vast knowledge of Duel Monsters, and I liked to think that I knew most of them. Ryou had called her something, D.D. And judging from her appearance, she was clearly a fighter, soldier, warrior- D.D. Warrior Lady! That had been the name of the card. _Attributes_, I thought, trying to recall what her characteristics had been.

Then it came to me, but only when she glanced over to Ryou for a brief moment. It was light. She was a light monster. That would put her on the same side as the Blue-Eyes in the upcoming war. If they were on the same side, did that mean she would turn me back over to them? From the looks of her current attitude, I got the feeling that she would send me back even if she was on the opposite side.

"I don't believe you. You know my Ryou! You are here to take him away from me!" She shouted, waving her sword around while she screamed.

"D, he isn't here for me. Please, my love, you have to trust me." Ryou said. I caught onto his tone quickly. I remembered Mokuba using a similar one when he was talking down Kuriboh; it bordered on begging.

The warrior left me where I stood and rushed to wrap her arms around Ryou's chest. She buried her face into his shirt for a moment, and I thought I heard her smelling him. Once she pulled her head back, she stared up into his eyes as she asked, "How do you know?"

Ryou's eyes flashed over to me as if searching for an answer. I remained motionless since I was still very aware of how dangerous that sword looked.

He returned to looking at the figure before him. "Because, look at him. He didn't bring a weapon or anything to remove your chains. He isn't fighting back, even while you aren't threatening him, and D, he really doesn't like me all that much. Don't worry."

Ryou was listing off every reason he could think of on the spot. I could tell. Of course he had no way of knowing why I had stumbled into this store, for all he knew, maybe I was here for him. But if he wanted me to continue breathing, his current plan was the best way to accomplish that.

She turned back to examine me. After a few seconds, she said, "Put your hands above your head."

I knew what she was planning. The image of my trying to sprint back in the way I had come crossed my mind, but it was quickly followed by a second image. An image where she plowed her sword through my heart. So, knowing that it was a terrible idea, I did as she commanded.

"Lock yourself in." She ordered.

Once again, I looked up above my head to see where the chains were. I hesitated after grabbing onto the first one. As soon as I snapped it around my wrist, I would be trapped here. Even if I wanted to go back to the dreaded roof of KaibaCorp, I couldn't.

She nudged me with her sword. "Well, go on. Prove that you aren't here for my companion."

What I was doing proved nothing. All it did was settle her conscious about my being here. The girl was still worried that I was going to try to leave with Ryou and she was taking action to prevent it.

"Why can't you just let him go?" Ryou asked, voicing the very question on my mind.

"I can't have him running off and telling people where we are. I don't want them to take you away from me." She said softly.

Ryou and I sent an anxious glance in each other's direction, but it was clear that I didn't have a choice. So I clicked the first cuff around my wrist. With a sigh, I reached for the second. It was much harder to get the second chain on my wrist since my left hand was restrained, but too soon, both my arms were locked above me. I gave my arms a slight tug to prove to the monster that they were securely fastened.

"Now then. Again. What are you doing here?" She questioned. I was glad to see her put her sword in its place on her belt.

"I heard a sound on the street, so I ran inside the first door that I came to. This is purely coincidence." I answered.

It was as though she could tell that I was hiding something from her. Since I couldn't hear any sounds from outside, I assumed that she didn't know which monsters in particular I was hiding from. She couldn't know that it was the Blue-Eyes, her allies. In that aspect, I was safe.

"How do you know my Ryou?" She asked. As she spoke, she walked behind me so I could no longer see her face. I knew that she was trying to set me off guard. By not letting me look her in the eyes, she was preventing me from knowing how she was reacting. And if I couldn't know that, I had no way of knowing if she was accepting my lies. And her tactic was working. I grew incredibly anxious the moment she was out of my sight. So anxious, it took me several seconds to think of the proper answer to her question.

"We went to school together." I stated.

I felt her hands come up to the back of my neck. She pulled down my collar for a few seconds, moving it around as if she was looking for something on my back. She let go before continuing her questions.

"And were you friends?"

"No."

"Are you here to take my love away?"

"No."

"Does anyone else know you are here?"

"No."

"Have you been chosen?"

"No."

I answered without hesitation. After the series of questions she threw at me, I had quickly become ready to throw out a "no." I hadn't even paused to consider whether or not I should keep the fact from her. Would I end up regretting that lie?

She walked back around to stand in front of me, placing her body inches away from mine. She tilted her head up so she was gazing directly into my eyes.

"Have you been chosen?" She repeated.

And this time, I thought about my answer. I didn't think over it long, but there was that moment between her question and my response. That moment that let her know I was lying.

"No." I repeated.

She frowned. I watched as she let a hand drift down to her leg. She ran her fingers across the surface of the knife she held there, threatening me. She slowly slid it out of its sheath, letting the edge trace up her leg while she lifted it up.

"I don't believe you." I said, now holding the very tip of the knife to her lip.

When I didn't speak, she brought the knife to my cheek and began to trace the fading mark Kuriboh had left. She pressed down with just enough force to cause pain, but not quite enough to draw blood.

"Mind if I reopen this?" She asked while continuing the knife's movements.

"I'd prefer if you didn't." I answered, careful not to move too much. Any large motions might result in cutting my cheek open myself.

"I'd prefer if you told me what I wanted to know." She spat, then quickly reopened the scar. Only this time, I could feel the length she added on to it. I gritted my teeth together to keep from expressing the pain. While glaring down at her, I kept my lips pressed in a firm line to keep the blood from dripping inside my mouth.

She laughed.

"D, please don't do this." Ryou asked quietly. I had been waiting for him to speak up, but now that he did, it just annoyed me. He couldn't have said something before she cut open my face? Now the stupid mark would never heal smoothly.

I sighed, trying to think of a positive light to put the situation in. Maybe if D.D. cut me up enough, Kisara would think that I was hideous and would decide she no longer was in love with me. Perhaps my getting held here was a blessing in disguise.

I doubted it.

"Why? You said he didn't even like you." She said, stepping away from me to walk back over to Ryou.

"But there is no reason to torture him just for walking inside your house, darling." Ryou said, keeping his tone low and even. I had noticed earlier on that he used pet names to refer to her. As soon as she left, I would have to ask him the reason for that.

"I don't think that I will ever understand you humans." She said, but she did put the knife back in its spot around her leg.

"Thank you." Ryou said.

I then watched as the girl rose up to her toes to kiss Ryou. She clung to him, as if she was afraid he would vanish from before her. Her fingers ran up through his white hair, desperately grabbing handfuls of it.

I stopped looking when the kiss continued on for longer than ten seconds. It was just awkward for me to watch. Even Ryou seemed to be getting into their kiss. He couldn't actually care about her, could he?

"I am going to go find someone that can tell me who he is. Don't go anywhere, dear." D.D. said, then stepped back. She blew Ryou a kiss and sent me a glare before walking backwards out of the freezer.

I heard the lock click behind her. Did she really believe that there was any chance that we would break out of the chains and escape?

"What are you really doing here, Kaiba?" Ryou asked once the girl had been gone for about a minute.

"I was really trying to get off the streets. The only thing that I didn't tell her the truth about was being chosen." I answered, but quickly regretted it. The blood that had been dripping down my face slid into my mouth. I spit several times to try to get my mouth clean of the substance, but I was unsuccessful.

"Sorry about that." Ryou said as he tilted his chin up in the direction of my face. "She has a tendency to over react."

"How long have you been here?" I asked. I leaned my head against one of my arms held above my head, trying to get the blood to flow away from my mouth.

"What is today?"

"Thursday?" I answered, but I wasn't actually positive myself.

"Then I've been in here for four days." Ryou said.

"How did you end up getting captured?" I asked, deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even if he was going along with the warrior, he wouldn't have gotten caught on purpose.

"I left during the day to go over to Joey's house. She found me as I was walking over. There isn't really more to the story than that, I'm afraid."

I remembered what I wanted to ask him then. "So, why are you calling her 'dear' and 'darling?' Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Ryou groaned, then tried to stretch his back. In his current position, the best he was able to do was pop his shoulders.

"I realized very soon on that if I didn't play along, she got violent. I would show you if I was able, but she dealt me a great amount of injuries. So I play along for my own sake, not for her. If she wants to believe that I'm madly in love with her, I am not going to be the person to stop her."

"Then why are you still chained up? Does she not believe that you care about her?" I asked.

"I had tried to run away the first night, which wasn't that long ago. She doesn't trust me yet, I assume."

I glanced over to the door. It wasn't as though I was expecting her to return just yet, but the door seemed to be the epitome of my troubles. Closed, locked, trapped.

"Do you know who she is going to ask about me?"

Ryou gave a slight shrug, which he was barely able to do. "I wouldn't know any more than you. I haven't left this building since she brought me here."

"Why was she looking at my back?"

"Slave traders put a brand on anyone they sell. Some of the monsters put a mark on the people they take in, sort of like a tag we put on our pets. I guess she was looking to see if you were lying to her." He answered.

"Did she put one on you?"

Ryou nodded. And after that, we didn't speak. What more was there to say? D.D. was going to figure out who I was, then she would send me back. I would have lost everything simply because I entered into the wrong doorway. There was also nothing that I could do for Ryou, so any small hope he might have had was crushed.

So we were content to hang there in silence.

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**Mokuba's POV**

"Your brother loves me, you know." Kisara stated as she sat down next to me. I turned to her, unable to prevent the small smile from creeping onto my lips.

"He does?" I asked. Of course that wasn't true. Seto would never fall in love with a monster, and especially not in a week. This girl had to be delusional, but it wouldn't hurt me to play along. I had been on the roof for maybe a minute and a half when Kisara had told me to sit down next to the entryway, then another minute before she brought up this conversation. It was clearly the main thought on her mind.

"He practically told me. I could see it in his eyes. He can't keep anything from us." She explained with a nod.

I couldn't quite decide how I was supposed to respond to that. On the one hand, the girl was crazy. On the other hand, she was also holding me hostage. Making her angry might not be the best solution, but I also couldn't agree that Seto was in love. When they found him, and I was certain that they would, he would kill me if he knew I was encouraging the dragon.

When I didn't respond, Kisara continued. "He kissed me right before he left. I am upset that he left me, but that kiss was his way of letting me know that he still loves me. But he wanted to find you, that way, we could all be together!"

"He kissed you?" I said, speaking the words slowly to make sure that I had understood her correctly. I assumed that she meant that they kissed, or, she kissed him. But from the little I knew about Kisara, she seemed like the type to over exaggerate events.

"Yes! He did. It was the most beautiful thing." She murmured, letting her eyes fall closed. A gentle smile grew on her lips while she leaned her head back against the doorframe. I could only imagine what sort of thoughts were swimming through her mind at that moment.

While she drifted off into a memory, I glanced around the roof. In all the years that I had been a Kaiba, I hadn't ever stepped foot up here. Ever since Marik dangled me from a helicopter during Battle City, I found myself incredibly afraid of heights. So being eighty stories in the air, the edge completely unprotected, I was terrified. The only comfort I found was that I was in the middle of the roof, nowhere near an edge. This spot is one that I would not be moving from any time soon.

I ended up staring out at the distant mountains. From eighty floors up, or from the safety of the ground, the mountains appeared mostly the same. Looking at them reminded me of looking at a window at home. Maybe if I focused completely on their large, looming shapes, I might be able to forget where I currently was located.

"What was it like with Kuriboh?" Kisara asked.

"Did Seto tell you about him?" I responded, curious as to what all she knew.

"Seto tells me everything. We are in love, after all. I even went to your house and got to look around."

I nearly laughed at the concept of Seto sharing all of his secrets with a dragon. There was no way that I would be able to keep a straight face much longer.

"Are you going to send me back there?" I asked.

Kisara's face took on an appalled expression. "Of course not! I saw what he did to my beautiful Seto's face, and Seto told me how much you hated him! I'm going to make Krin keep you. Kara would like having two pets I'm sure, and Krin is so power-happy that having two slaves might actually make him smile."

Kisara reminded me of the girls I had gone to high school with. She was so blinded by her obsession with my brother that she wasn't thinking clearly.

I would never let Seto live this one down.

"Uh- thanks then." I mumbled. I didn't mean the words because I wasn't actually grateful. She was still keeping me hostage, and looking for my brother in order to capture him as well. That was all this world now consisted of, jumping from one prison to the next. Did the warden really matter all that much?

"You look sad." Kisara stated.

"I miss my brother." I said truthfully, although there was more to the sadness than just that.

She nodded in response. "I miss him too. And the poor dear only left a few minutes before we found you! Such sad irony."

I didn't get the chance to respond. A roar caused the two of us to turn our heads upwards. Flying above us was another dragon. Kisara went back to her chattering, not seeming to mind if I was paying attention or not. I kept my gaze upwards, watching as the dragon circled through the sky.

Even though I was sure that once the monsters were all gone no one would play Duel Monsters anymore, just looking at the Blue Eyes made me understand why Seto had been so obsessed with the cards. The card had been powerful, but I was looking at the actual thing. The monster nearly filled up the entire sky above me. The way the light was hitting its scales made it appear as though it was made of silver. It also looked deadly. The claws, the bared teeth, the muscles that could be seen as it raised and lowered its wings; all signs that this beast was created to kill.

There were three of them. And they all wanted my brother.

"Mokuba, why do you think Seto didn't tell us that he owned this building?" Kisara asked, pulling me from the train of thought with which I had been occupied.

"Is that important?" I asked.

I was learning a lot about Seto's mindset from talking to Kisara. I couldn't decide if she was purposefully giving me the information. But I knew Seto, and the fact that he didn't mention KaibaCorp being his meant that he had been hoping to use that to his advantage. But since he had escaped, I guess he ended up accomplishing that.

"You don't think it is? He escaped through the building. He wasn't hiding information from me so he could get away?"

Her words were turning more personal. Originally, she had asked why Seto hadn't told all of them, her last sentence was just about her. She was taking it personally.

"Didn't you ask him what his name was?" I questioned.

"He told us it was Seto. We didn't know that humans all have two names." Kisara said. As she spoke, she slumped up against the wall, letting her back slide down until her shoulders nearly touched the floor.

I just nodded as if the information was common knowledge, which for humans, it absolutely was. I considered telling her that all humans have three names, but the thought alone might drive her even more insane.

"Is your second name Kaiba too?" She asked, folding her hands across her lap.

"Yes it is. Mokuba Kaiba." I said.

"You aren't as pretty as Seto." She said, and I noticed a great deal of grumbling coming through her tone. She was entirely on the ground now, lying flat against the surface of the roof. It was like she was melting in disappointment as we spoke.

"Thank you." I said, the smile finally coming out.

The dragon that had been circling above us began to descend.

It moved lower and lower until finally, its feet touched the roof.

"Close your eyes." Kisara mumbled.

I remembered how she had told me to do the same just before she had transformed from a girl into a dragon. Then once we were back on the roof, she hadn't told me to do so, since dragons can't speak in English. I had felt the sharp pain that time, because I hadn't closed my eyes quickly enough.

So I listened to Kisara. Only I added onto her words and buried my face into my knees. Yet, even with my face completely covered, I could still feel the heat from the dragon's change burning at my skin.

I waited until I was entirely sure that the light had vanished before I looked up. Standing on the other side of the roof was another female dragon. She was nearly identical to Kisara, the same long white-blue hair, tall, thin, blue eyes. Seto had been held hostage by these girls?

Then I recalled the other dragon who had found me on the ground. Two girls and one boy. I don't know why it surprised me that they were different genders. Maybe I had just always thought of them as 'it.'

Kisara lifted her head up off the ground. "Anything?" She asked.

The other girl, who I took to be Kara, stared at Kisara as if she wanted to kill her.

"No, _sister. _He is gone." Kara spat.

Kisara dropped her head back down. "It isn't my fault! Stop blaming me!" She yelled from her position beside me.

"Of course it is your fault! You let him go into a room, by himself. And this being right after we found out he owned the place? You're a fool, Kisara."

At that, Kisara jumped to her feet. "Stop it!"

Kisara turned down to look at me. Without warning, she reached out and grabbed onto my arm and pulled me to my feet. I stumbled forward, having been caught off guard by the sudden change in position, but Kisara steadied me.

"I found his brother! Seto will come back if he finds out that we have him." Kisara explained.

Kara seemed to notice my presence for the first time since she landed. She quickly glanced me over.

"_This _is his brother?" She said as if she didn't believe it. I suddenly found myself very offended.

"Yes! He looks just like Seto! You can't see it? Even Krin noticed. And he agrees that Seto is in love with me!" She said, her words became jumbled together at the speed at which she spoke them.

Kara looked more doubtful.

"Is that so, boy?"

I was backed into a metaphorical corner. Lying just screamed "bad idea!" However, telling the truth would get Seto into trouble later on, well, lying would do that too.

"Well?" Kara pressed.

"Yeah, he absolutely does." I said, but my tone read clearly of sarcasm.

While Kisara grinned brightly with my agreement, Kara bit her lip, repressing a smile. I think she could tell that I wasn't telling the truth, but why did she find it so amusing? Shouldn't she be more upset that I was lying to her sister?

"Where is Krin?" Kisara asked.

"He went to find the slaver. They should be up here soon."

I didn't know who the slaver was, but it didn't sound promising. His name alone made me think back to the slave market and the week I spent there. Those weren't my best memories.

Kisara let go of my arm and told me to sit back down. I did as she said, and no sooner had I sat down than the third Blue Eyes came into view from the side of the building. He landed swiftly and I closed my eyes once more. And again I covered my face because it had helped last time.

And then all three dragons stood in front of me in human form. The newest addition sent Kisara a similar glare to the one Kara wore. I tried not to look directly at the angry dragons. Instead, I attempted to melt away into the door.

"The slaver?" Kara asked.

"He is coming up now." Krin answered sharply. His eyes didn't leave Kisara. He gaze was so intense that even she took a step back.

"Don't be mad at me, brother. I didn't mean to let him escape." Kisara practically whined.

"And yet, where is my pet now?" Kara said, answering for her brother.

"He can't go far!" Kisara insisted.

"It took us nearly a year to find him the first time." Krin said. And although his voice was low, his words seemed to drip with anger. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that he loved me! Ask Mokuba!"

Krin broke his glare at Kisara to look at Kara, who had begun to slowly shake her head.

"Kisara, sister, Mokuba hasn't seen Seto since Krin brought him here to live with us. He couldn't know what Seto supposedly feels about you." Kara explained.

"But he said!"

The argument didn't continue. A figure interrupted by jumping over the side of the building. None of the dragons seemed phased by the fact that the visitor had just jumped eighty floors. I probably would have been in awe if I hadn't recognized him.

'_Of course,' _I thought. '_The slaver.' _

The man walked over to Krin. "I need basic information. How long has he been missing?" The slaver asked.

"Less than an hour." Krin responded.

"Name and physical description?"

"He responds to Seto." Kara said.

"And he has long-ish brown hair," Kisara began, bringing her hand up to her head to demonstrate the length. "His eyes are really blue, like the sky, only prettier. And he is tall, but not as tall as Krin. He has the most beautiful hands-"

"That will be enough." The slaver said, cutting Kisara off.

"Branded?" He asked, this time specifically directing the question to Krin.

"No. We considered it, but Kisara didn't want to 'mar his perfect skin.'" Krin said, and as he quoted his sister, he went back to glaring at her.

"I hold to that." Kisara said proudly.

My leg started to fall numb. Without even thinking, I stretched it out. The movement brought the non-blinking gaze of the slaver.

He raised an eyebrow as if taken by surprise. It quickly fell as his lips twitched up into a smirk. He looked away from me to speak to the dragons.

"That one doesn't belong to you."

Krin shrugged. "And?"

"His master is searching for him."

"His master is a Kuriboh. If you would like, you can send him up here." Kara said. "We will deal with him."

The slaver held up his hands. "I'm not looking to start anything. I was simply unaware if you knew this boy's status."

"We are aware. Just focus on finding our slave." Krin said.

The non-blinking man nodded once. Instead of leaving then, he came over and knelt down in front of me. I wasn't looking at him, but he wouldn't have that. He reached out a hand and gently lifted up my chin until I met his eyes.

"You have got to be the unluckiest child in this world." He said, laughter coming out between his words.

I didn't speak, a quality I had developed in my week as his captive. That didn't surprise him.

"I will make a deal with you. Stay here. The moment I hear that you are no longer with these three, I will find you. And when that happens, because I _will_ find you, expect to be dragged back to your master covered in enough chains that eventually, you will forget what it feels like to move. Not even you will be able to break out of all of them. Do we have an understanding?"

I turned my head away instead of answering.

"Speaking of chains," he said as he got back to his feet, "would you like me to bring your slave back in them?"

"Yes." Krin said.

"With a leash." Kara added.

"That could be sexy." Kisara mused.

The slaver moved over to the edge. "Very well then. Don't worry," he said, then turned to look at me. "I always find them."

And he stepped off the edge.

* * *

Like, dislike? Let me know!

So, do you ever feel like a chapter just hates you? This chapter hated me. I could NOT get it written for the life of me. And I realise that this may surprise my usual followers, since it hasn't even been a month since my last update. But Seto's POV seemed to drag, and I knew exactly what I wanted to happen in Mokuba's, even down to the dialogue, but it just wouldn't come out! So I went to Walmart, bought a really nice pencil, and handwrote the last part of the chapter. That worked.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter! I'm KaelynnD there too!


	12. Twelve

**Michelle Erika**- I have been thinking about that a lot actually. And I think that I've come up with a pretty solid plan for the ending. Stick around to see what I'm talking about!

**Shinryu-Twilight Dragon-** I'm so glad you like that line! That was the entire quote that I based Kisara's character around. I've had that little conversation written on a Post-It on my desk for months. I was thrilled to finally be able to use it.

**Chocomintkt**- It isn't funny, but it is a very common occurrence for the poor kid. Raunchy? Haha- I wouldn't have picked that word, but I think I got what you were trying to say. And Seto getting recaptured? You might have to wait for a while for more Seto/Krin-Kara-Kisara scenes. Well, like two chapters or so.

**Luxord's Xigbar**- I played Kingdom Hearts. . . How did I not get that? Haha- I'm glad I could answer your questions!

**ZQuill**- I'm not really a fan of OCs. Although I have been known to use one or two. So I try to keep them out of stories unless absolutely necessary. And I loved the Mokuba/Kisara interaction. I had a blast writing it. You caught onto Kara liking Mokuba? Good. I wasn't sure if that would come through or not.

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination**- They are entirely hated by the Universe. I think they may have realized that by this point in time. Do they get a break. . . I think there is one scheduled in about ten chapters? Haha- the story would be boring if everything was peaceful.

**AyaseFanGirl**- Let me know if you still like the slaver after this chapter. I like his random appearances, but he is going to be a much larger character here in the next few chapters. And that means more dialogue and whatnot. I'm not sure how it turned out.

**J bear**- I chose DD Warrior Lady because she is my favourite card, and I wanted her to get in the story somehow. Haha. I mean, when I think of Ryou and dueling, I think Change of Heart, and that isn't a monster. I know Bakura has several more to chose from, but none seem right for Ryou. So I picked one at random, like I did with Mokuba. And I tried to explain where Bakura is in the beginning of this chapter; let me know if you have any more questions!

**Havelock Vetinari**- I just googled it. Hm. I do like that image of the Blue-Eyes. It does seem fitting, since I have them living on a roof. And about all the other monsters. Think of it this way: Domino is one city. The rest could have spread out to the rest of the world. The war I'm referring to is going to be mostly centrally located. If the story goes on for a long enough time, I may end up including them. But for now, it is just the Blue-Eyes, Dark Magician, and a few others. And don't think I'll make it easy for the dragons!

_**Random Author's Notes**_: Okay, so I've been going through the stats for this story, and I found out something interesting. You people are weird! Haha- aside from Chapter One, chapters Four and Six are the most popular. Chapter Two is one of the least popular. Hm. Do you all just randomly skip around or what?

* * *

**Seto's POV**

The bleeding had slowly come to a stop. Very slowly. I figured that I was helping the process by not speaking. By keeping my mouth still, I kept from reopening the cut. However, not being able to wash the blood off my face was torture. I could feel it hardening on my cheek, lips, and neck. It was disgusting.

"Do you know how Mokuba is doing?" Ryou asked.

I gently shook my head. If I had been able to speak freely, I still don't think I would have answered. Did he really expect me to say more on the subject? Would I have told him how Kisara had taken me to see him, only to find no one at the house? And not just that no one was there, but that I found blood on the wall?

I was terrified about what might have happened. Was it my brother's blood or that beast's? Which had been injured?

Kuriboh wouldn't hurt Mokuba, at least, not physically. I also didn't think that he was capable of holding a knife. Without thumbs, how could he grab anything? That was a new thought to consider. That would mean it had to be Kuriboh's blood.

So Mokuba had escaped. Where would he have gone? There was no where for him to go. As far as I knew, he had never been to Wheeler, Tea, or Ryou's home. With no other place in the city safe, what would my brother do?

That very well could have been his voice calling to me that day in the slave market. Could he have been sold as a slave? Then how would I be able to find him?

I let my head all forward until I was staring at the floor.

"I'm sure everything is going to turn out fine," Ryou said. "Someone, somewhere will find a way out of this mess."

"Do you really believe that?" I asked, keeping my lips as motionless as I could manage. "Or are you just trying to convince yourself?"

"You can't think of anything positive? I certainly can," Ryou said.

"Ryou, my life could no possibly get any worse. There are no positives in this situation," I said.

"I haven't heard from the spirit of the thief since D.D. brought me here. I don't know if he has locked himself away or if D.D. taking the Ring had something to do with his disappearance. Either way, I'm grateful for that."

I tilted my head over to stare at him. "You would really rather be here than putting up with him?"

Ryou nodded. "Absolutely. Eventually, D will trust me. She isn't going to keep me chained up like this forever. All she wants is love. The spirit wanted control. He would randomly take over my body, and I never knew what to expect with him," he explained.

"I think I am going to continue in my pessimistic ways," I stated, and Ryou laughed and muttered, "Your choice."

And once more, we fell silent. We didn't really know each other, and I didn't feel obligated to fill our time together with conversation.

But it wasn't much longer before I heard the sound of the door being unlocked. I didn't look over, since I was certain that I knew who it was entering.

D.D. walked into the room, but she wasn't alone. I could pick out a second set of footsteps, and I took that to mean that she had found the one she was looking for.

"Hello, dear. You'll never believe my luck! I found him almost as soon as I walked outside. He was already in the area," D.D. announced.

"I think I believe you," Ryou said.

"Seto?"

I didn't recognize the voice, which meant that it was the person that the warrior had brought to take me back. I looked over at the stranger. I may not have recognized his voice, but his face was very familiar. It was a face that I had spent an entire night studying.

He was the one from the meeting. The man who never blinked.

"Responds to Seto," he said, and lifted a hand with a finger pointed to make a checkmark in the air. He stepped forward until he was standing in front of me.

"Brown hair, eyes bluer than the sky," He stopped for a moment and glanced up at my hands. "Oh, and such beautiful hands," He added with a laugh.

"You got your description from Kisara, I see," I mumbled, but he was standing close enough that he heard it. And apparently, so had D.D.

"Kisara? As in the Blue-Eyes White Dragon? You managed to escape her?"

The monster in front of me laughed again. "Not just her, but all three of the dragons. Very impressive."

He stopped speaking to look me in the eyes. It then felt like we were having a staring contest, and I was losing desperately. I had been right the first time I saw him; he never blinked.

"Have we met before?" He asked, cocking his head while he spoke. He continued a careful scrutiny of my face, clearly trying to place where we had previously run across each other.

"Not officially."

He shook his head, keeping his eyes locked with mine. "It will come to me. Give me a few minutes and I will remember."

"So you will take him?" D.D. asked hopefully.

"Yes, I will return him to his owners. Where are the keys for the chains?"

"They are in the other room. I'll go grab them," she answered just before she walked out.

When she left, the man switched his focus to Ryou.

"So you are her companion?" He clenched his teeth together in annoyance. "I don't understand why so many would rather choose a companion instead of a slave. You appear strong enough. Is there something preventing you from working?"

He didn't give Ryou opportunity to speak, for he quickly spun around and pointed a finger at me.

"Seven days ago at the town meeting. You are the kid who kept staring at me."

He smiled. "I told you I would remember."

D.D. came back in, holding out a set of keys. When she was standing next to him, she examined each key before holding one up.

"I think this is it," she said.

The man took the key from her. He had to get closer to me in order to reach the chains above my head. I found myself unconsciously leaning my head back, trying to put some distance between our faces.

He smiled at my obvious distaste for the close proximity, but didn't pull back himself.

My arms fell to my side as he unlocked them. I could feel the cold rush of blood flowing back into them. They were momentarily numb, but the instant I was able to move them, I lifted up a hand to wipe the dried blood off my mouth.

"What did you do to his face?" The man asked.

"He wouldn't answer my questions honestly, so I reopened the scar that was there," D.D. explained, sounding as though the action hadn't been anything important.

"They are not going to like me bringing him back injured," he said. His tone reflected annoyance.

While their conversation continued, the man pulled a pair of handcuffs from a hook on his belt. He ordered me to turn around by twirling his finger in the air.

"Just explain to them that he brought it upon himself," D.D. said as the cuffs were locked around my wrists.

"I cannot guarantee that they will not be angry with you," he warned, then began to lead me out of the room. The last thing I heard D.D. say was directed to Ryou. "Now my love, we can really have some fun."

The man leading me away found that amusing.

"The companion thing is just absurd, do you not agree? Really, can they not find a mate from our own kind?"

I glanced sideways at him while he spoke. I was surprised. Never had I expected to hear one of the beasts speaking against another in such a way.

"Who are you?" I asked. The question popped up every so often during my time on the roof. Since I had spent such a great deal of time contemplating it, I wanted answers.

"I am a slaver," he answered.

We were at the door by that time and he opened it with the hand that wasn't gripping my arm. He marched out into the alleyway and I started checking the sky for any sign of the three dragons. The slaver noticed the action.

"They are not searching for you. They sent me to do that. Besides, they are probably busy playing with their new toy," he said, and I noted a slight tinge of anger in his words.

"Their new toy?" I asked. It couldn't have been more than a few hours since I left. They had already chosen someone new?

"You did not know about the new kid?" He asked, clearly taken aback.

I shook my head as we reached the end of the alley. He stopped there and let go of my arm. We then faced each other.

"This kid they now have is trouble. He is crafty, and a master of escaping. He is so good at escaping, it is almost admirable." The slaver said, then added, "they must have found him right after you ran away. Strange timing, that is."

We started to move again, only, I had expected us to turn left, towards KaibaCorp. Instead, we were walking the other direction. The slaver appeared set on his destination, so I initially didn't question it, but the thought weighed on my mind. And after four blocks, my curiosity won. "Where are we going?"

"Are you asking for the location alone, or the reason we are not headed towards the dragons?" He asked.

"A combination of the two."

"Tell me Seto with the beautiful hands, have you heard about this supposed war?" He asked.

I watched his features flash with annoyance, but the expression disappeared as quickly as it has come. His gaze remained focused on the street in front of us; it was unwavering.

"I have heard of it."

"There has been talk of war for months, yet, no war."

There was a movement across the street. The slaver pushed me into an old store's entryway and put a finger over my mouth in a silencing gesture. He peeked around the brick wall to observe a woman and three children making their way down the street. They traveled very obviously. Fast steps, lots of unnecessary motions, muffled whispers, and one of the kids even wore a red shirt. It nearly seemed as if they wanted to be found.

The slaver removed his hand from my face, but added a warning glare. He then reached into his coat to pull out a notebook and pen. He wrote speedily in some form of symbols I had never seen before. He only stopped writing when the group entered an unmarked building. Upon the entrance, he drew a large symbol next to his notes.

"Now then, where were we?" He asked as he replaced the writing equipment.

"The war, or lack thereof," I answered.

"Of course, of course," he muttered before reclaiming the grip on my arm. "So like I was saying, this war is never going to begin. I cannot have that."

"You want the war to start?" I asked, making sure that I had a proper understanding of his words.

"Precisely."

I waited for him to explain his reasoning, but he remained silent. Would that really be all the information he would give me? I figured that since he had been so willing to speak just moments ago that he wouldn't mind more questions. So I asked, "Why do you want the war to start?"

"To make things interesting again. I have a great distaste for routine, and my kind are falling into it."

We kept walking, but this time, it was me who didn't speak. He wanted to start a war because he was bored? That had to be the worst reason I had ever heard, and I spent four years with Gozaburo, CEO of a multinational military supplier.

People were being killed by the thousands as it was. How much steeper would the numbers grow if the war did occur? With the whole Earth as a battleground, would anywhere be safe?

It then dawned on me that I had failed to ask the most obvious question. "What does the war have to do with me?"

"When your owners hear about the Dark monsters taking you, they will begin the first attack."

"You are using me to start a war?" I asked, but it was really more of a statement to myself.

The irony had my head spinning. I turned KaibaCorp into a gaming company so I would have no place in the world of wars. And yet, I now found myself as a pawn being used to begin one.

"Are you even a Dark monster?" I added.

He glared and dug his fingers into my arm. "I am no monster. And no, I am not of the Dark species."

"So of what species are you?"

"Earth," he stated.

"And what side will Earth take in this war?"

"Earth is a neutral force," he answered.

It irritated me that he was only giving the exact answers to the questions I was asking. Only moments before, he was talking freely. He must have been able to tell that I was looking for explanations.

"If Earth is neutral, shouldn't you be as well?"

"I am not my people."

"And where are we going?" I asked, remembering my initial question.

"To the main Dark camp, of course," he said.

"How much further?" I asked.

"Just around this corner."

Just around this corner turned out to be another ten minutes. We did only make the one turn, but then we walked straight for another mile.

I curiously watched my surroundings as we moved. The last time I had truly gone out during the day was around the time Yugi opened the portal between worlds. So I didn't have a great understanding of daytime monsters, or people's traveling habits. From what I saw, they were much different.

There were far fewer shadows to hide in, and even the few there were weren't good for cover. So the people who moved about could do little to remain inconspicuous. Every time the slaver spotted a human, he would pause, pull out the notebook, and write it down.

Even the monsters moved in a different manner. They didn't move in groups, as they tended to at night. The day beasts were all alone, at least, the ones that I saw.

There were far fewer screams.

We approached a door and the slaver kicked his foot against the base in place of knocking.

"Open!" He shouted.

The door opened and I was hit with the most foul odor I had ever experienced. I might have commented, except for the fact that I saw the source.

The zombies were on the Dark side.

"What do you want?" One of the growled. Similar mumbles spread around. It seemed to me that the slaver wasn't a well-liked visitor.

"I brought the Magician a present," he said.

He stepped inside, pulling me with him. The zombie who had opened the door pulled it closed behind us.

Looking around, I realized that the Dark hideout was very cliché. The windows were painted black, there was little lighting, the place was filthy, and the smell was nearly enough to knock a person out.

The slaver lead me forward to a doorway on the other side of the room. But there was no door. In fact, as I continued examining the room, there were no doors to be seen, aside from the one we had just come through. There were just holes in the walls where a door should have gone.

The slaver seemed to know where he was going. He moved easily through the halls, a sign that he had been here before. After a few turns, he stopped at a doorway and knocked on the wall beside the opening.

"What have I told you people about knocking?" A voice called from inside. "Just come in!"

"I brought you a present," the slaver said as we moved through the doorway.

A boy, who couldn't have been any older than me, sat at a desk in the middle of the room. He had long, messy, purple hair that he had tied back. He wore a long sleeved purple t-shirt with a black paint splatter design, and the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. Laying across the front of the desk was a green staff that I recognized instantly.

The boy studied me. "Uh, thanks for that, but I already have a kid," he said, then pointed a thumb behind him.

I followed the direction of the gesture and saw what I now believed to be one of the only doors in the facility.

The slaver lifted his shoulders in a sigh. "So I should take him all the way back to the Blue-Eyes? That is quite a bit of walk-"

"He is the Blue-Eyes' kid?" The boy asked, sounding very interested. He stood up and placed his hands on the desk to lean forward. "You belong to Krin?"

"I don't belong to anyone," I answered.

The room's other occupants laughed.

"I bet Kara hates you," the boy said, still laughing.

"So Magician, do you want him?" The slaver asked.

"Of course I do! This is a great present!" He exclaimed, throwing up his hands in excitement. "You're always thinking of me, aren't you slaver?"

I was shocked. This ridiculous boy was the Dark Magician? The rival of the powerful Blue-Eyes White Dragons was _him_?

"How'd you find him?" The Magician asked. He reached out to grab the staff off the table and threw it across his shoulders. He then hung his arms over the top.

"He had run away. The dragons asked me to find him," the slaver answered.

The Magician frowned. "I don't like runaways. Not at all," but then he snorted. "Who am I kidding? This is perfectly acceptable! As long as it is the Light demons who are losing out, I'll make the exception."

He walked around to the side of the desk.

"So dragon boy, what's your name?" The Magician questioned.

"Seto."

"Seto what?" He pressed.

I actually found myself annoyed that he knew humans had last names when the Blue-Eyes hadn't. Why was I suddenly so defensive of them?

"Seto Kaiba," I answered.

He pressed his lips together in thought. While he was thinking, he pulled the staff down from his shoulders and placed it on the ground so he could rest his forehead on it.

"Kaiba . . . Kaiba . . ." he mumbled, and he kept mumbling my name until he glanced down at the computer on his desk.

"Kaiba as in KaibaCEO?"

My silence was his affirmation.

"You're the kid Yami keeps sneaking in here to message! Well then, this will be a fun surprise for him."

He slung the staff up and over to rest on the top of one arm, then moved over to the door. There was a key on a chain around his neck, and he leaned down to unlock the door without removing the chain from its place.

Once the door was open, he laid the staff against the frame, stepped into the room, threw his hands into the air and exclaimed, "Yami!" as if he were greeting an old friend.

I couldn't really hear any form of response, but the Magician went on anyway. "Our slaver friend brought us a gift! Want to see?"

He gestured with his chin for the slaver to lead me into the other room. With a large grin, he shoved me in.

Yami sat on a bed in the corner of the room. The room was small. It had no windows, and the only furniture was two beds and a bookshelf. One of the books was in Yami's hands, the pages closed around a finger.

His face remained expressionless.

"Now Yami," The Magician said as he grabbed my arm and threw me to the bed. "Stop sneaking to my computer."

He gazed in my direction just before walking back to the door. "I'll be back for you in a while. I just need to handle a few details first. Later."

And he left, locking the door behind him.

I tried to find a more comfortable position with my hands still cuffed behind me. When I settled on the fact that there would be no better position, I turned to Yami.

"That is the Dark Magician?" I asked.

Yami opened his book to the page he had been marking. "I know. I didn't expect it either."

* * *

Reviews would make my week!

Also, I've started my blog back up. So for anyone who doesn't read From the Dead (Rewritten Version) the link is on my profile. Check it out!


	13. Thirteen

**Shinryu-Twilight Dragon- **Well, think about it. The dragons live on a roof. The Dark Magician lives in some kind of old office building. He is more likely to know about technology. And humans? Doesn't he just seem like a people person? Haha- and you want to see her expression? If only I could draw. When it happens, I'll try to make the description as vivid as possible. And the slaver is such a fun character to write. Expect to see more of him in the next few chapters.

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination- **Yes, poor Seto. But I think I'd way rather be trapped in a room than chained to a ceiling. See? I'm trying to be somewhat nice to him. . . Haha- I seriously just laughed at that. Because, you see, I know what is coming up. I'm anything but nice to him.

**Ardikani4- **Hey there! Welcome to Possessions. I'm your author, KaelynnD, and I'll be leading you through the rest of the story. I'm really glad you enjoy this even though I totally agree about how dark it is. Interesting that you commented about that. Over the next three chapters, you are going to be seeing some warnings about upcoming dark events. Hope to hear from you again!

**PeachTeaKT- **The dragons aren't human either, but they can take on human form. I'll be explaining that a bit in this chapter I believe (I'm not actually sure yet, I haven't finished writing it. Haha) And his reason for starting the war is totally his personality. Over the next few chapters, he is going to repeat one phrase over and over that will clue you into his mindset. Thanks for the review! (Do it again!)

**Teribane- **So am I to take that as you like the Dark Magician? Because I love him. Haha- I have had his character planned for so long and I'm so happy to finally be able to write him! But I'm going into more detail on his jealousy thing in this chapter. I realize that I cut the last one off before I could explain. And he is tolerant of Seto because he sees him as an object to be used for his own gain. Not because he thinks Yami is lonely or anything. Haha.

**Luxord's Xigbar- **Um. . . okay? Haha- I'm assuming that is because the Magician is so unexpected. But hey, I can't have all the monsters act like Krin, Kara, and Zoa. There has got to be some distinction.

**ZQuill- **I don't get why people skip around. Haha- but I like seeing which chapters people go back to read. And the Dark Magician's character is going to be nearly bipolar. Get ready for a roller coaster of his emotions over the next few chapters.

**Seto K4iba1- **I like that you are thinking about how the story will end. Because until about. . . three hours ago, I had no idea what I was going to do. I published this story on a whim, not really expecting it to be so popular. I started with no idea of where I was going to be going with it. I knew Seto:Krin/Kara/Kisara (although Krin wasn't named) and that monsters were going to be human-ish. That was IT. There was no Kuriboh, no Dark Magician, certainly no slaver. But I now know exactly what I'm going to do, and I seriously hope that you like it!

**AyaseFanGirl- **You don't like him? Good. Now for my job: I'm going to try to make you like him again. If I can't do that, then I'm going to be upset with myself. And he isn't his people, remember? Earth is neutral, not him. Well, technically, he doesn't really care which side wins. He just wants something to happen. And I kind of hate to break this to you. . . but I'm not really going to focus on Krin's reaction to Seto's return (which will happen). I mean, I'm going to show it, but it won't be a long interaction. Just think: who would be the most hurt that Seto ran away? And wouldn't said dragon be seriously ticked? Read the warning at the bottom of this chapter and the next. Oh! And Mokuba- he isn't going to be with the dragons forever. Or much longer actually. Hope you like this chapter!

_**Author's Note:**_ Okay you guys, just to let you know, I'm done with classes for the semester! And that means that updates should come MUCH faster than normal. I'm not even joking, if you don't get an update at least once every two weeks, send me a PM or an instant message (LendingDreams) and tell me to get my lazy butt to typing! There isn't an excuse for me not updating during the summer. But I've given you all plenty of ways to contact me. Use them. You'd be surprised at how inspired I get after someone reminds me that I haven't updated in a while.  
-Oh yeah, and** I started back up my blog**. The** link** is listed as my website on my profile. Check it out for updates on new chapters and plot discussions!

* * *

**Seto's POV**

"Can you exp-" I began, but was cut off by Yami putting a finger to his lips. Once he was sure that I had understood his message, he adjusted his finger to point to the door.

Glancing over, I didn't immediately see what he was referring to. But then, a very subtle movement grabbed my attention. A shadow could be seen in the crack between the door and floor. It hovered there, just barely swaying from side to side.

Yami tapped his ear as if to say, "he is listening."

We both waited silently until the shadow disappeared. That took several moments. I believed that the Magician was trying to see what Yami and I had been talking about on the computer, which is why Yami didn't want to talk just yet. I didn't speak until Yami asked, "What are you doing here?"

His tone was quiet, so I made sure that mine matched his for volume. "The slaver brought me here to jump start the war."

Yami was interested enough to close his book all the way and place it on the bed beside him. "And how will that come about?"

"Apparently, the Blue-Eyes will be so outraged at my being here that they will launch the first attack."

Yami bit down on his lip. "I figured you had been chosen. And it makes sense that it was the Blue-Eyes. But why does the slaver want to start a war?"

"He told me that it was to make things interesting again. Because, as you have probably noticed, the world has become boring," I stated sarcastically.

I moved to sit at the edge of the base of the bed, but Yami said, "It would probably be better if you sat on the floor."

"Why?"

"I don't know how the Magician would react to you sitting so close to me," he answered.

"He would get upset because I am sitting in a relatively close proximity to you?" I asked since I found that incredibly difficult to believe.

"He killed Yugi."

And I slowly crouched down to sit on the floor. Yami knew the Magician better than I did, and I didn't consider the purple-haired monster to be very rational. So I decided that it might be in my best interest to do what he said at the current time.

"How did he do that?"

After the monsters invaded our world, I had stopped trying to deny the presence of magic. My mind still couldn't grasp all of its qualities, but I had come to accept the two souls in one body thing that Yugi had so often claimed. Yet that was what confused me. Yami and Yugi shared one body. So how was Yugi killed?

Yami's eyes stared forward at a far corner as he spoke. "His soul was driven from this body."

I expected him to say something else, but that was where he stopped. Maybe that was all he knew, that Yugi's soul was no longer connected to him. Or perhaps he just didn't want to tell me anymore. Either way, I chose to change the subject.

"Then why did the Magician put me in here? I mean, if he is so possessive, wouldn't he want me to be anywhere else?"

Yami stared down at me as if I were an idiot. "Did you see any other doors here? This is the only room with a door, much less a lock."

"If he locks the door, how is it that you can get out to the computer?"

"You saw him. He isn't the smartest beast. Occasionally, he forgets to lock it behind him."

I nodded, thinking on how that seemed like something Kisara would let happen. And as if reading my thoughts, Yami asked, "What are the dragons like? I think I remember the Magician saying that there was more than one."

"There are three of them. And they are insane, just like all the other monsters," I answered.

"Do you find it strange that there are three?" Yami questioned. "After all, there were only the three cards."

"Technically, there were four cards," I corrected. "And for all we know, there could be more of them out in the rest of the world. It is bound to be a coincidence that I was chosen by three."

"I don't believe in coincidences," Yami pointed out.

"So you believe that it was my destiny to be become a slave, pet, and companion? I don't buy that."

Yami laughed. I sent him an incredulous gaze while I waited for him to explain his sudden good mood.

It took him a minute before he was able to form words. "Sorry, I just never would have expected those to be the reasons you were chosen." He took a second to compose himself before adding, "It was rude to laugh."

I shook my head and gave a small, half-laugh of my own. "No, I agree. With my personality, those are probably the three worst types of beast I could have ended up with. If it wasn't actually happening to me, I probably would find it amusing."

Right after I finished speaking, Yami glanced back to the door. This time, I knew what I was looking for; the shadow was back.

Yami grabbed his book, opened it, and leaned back against the wall while pretending to read.

I closed my eyes and let my head fall to rest on the bed. Then we waited for the door to open.

"Okay dragon-boy, you're coming with me to a meeting," the Dark Magician said once he had entered the room. When he stood next to me, he pulled me to my feet and produced a key.

"Would you try to run if I took off the cuffs?" He asked.

"Could I actually get away?"

The Magician pretended to contemplate. "Perhaps. Can you run faster than a pack of wolves?"

"I'm not going anywhere," I stated.

"Good choice."

He made quick work of removing the cuffs. The moment they were gone, I pulled my hands in front of me. My shoulders screamed in protest. It had only been a short while that they had been restrained into the position behind my back, but that was all it took.

"I'll be back later, Yami. Say goodbye to KaibaCEO here."

Yami didn't say anything. His eyes never left the book in his hands.

"Sorry about Yami. He is a bit of a prick when I take his toys away."

I smirked at the flit of irritation that crossed Yami's face. Although we were fighting on the same side, I still thought of him as a rival. So seeing that he was no better off than me made me feel somewhat better about the situation.

When I stepped out into the adjoining office, there were two others waiting. One was the slaver, but the other I didn't recognize.

The new man wore a severe expression, seeming as thought he had never smiled. His black hair hung loosely around his eyes, which were as red as blood.

"Now can we get started?" He said as he glared darkly. I took that as a sign that he didn't appreciate coming for me.

"That we can! Let's head over to the room," the Magician said before walking away. He grabbed the staff that he had left leaning against the door frame and slung it across his shoulders.

Yami was right when he said that the Magician often forgot to lock the door. I considered knocking or the like to let him know that the door was open, but the slaver hung back to wait for me. I had no particular interest in upsetting him. So I walked over to him and allowed myself to be lead out. No one spoke while we walked. The Magician waved happily at everyone that he passed, while the black-haired red-eyed man moved silently, sending the occasional glare. The slaver just stayed beside me, probably making certain that I didn't try to run away.

We reached yet another room without a door. This one seemed to be some kind of waiting room. It was full of couches, side tables, and what appeared to be a reception area. The Magician took a seat on a couch and the other man sat across from him on another. The slaver instructed me to take a seat beside the black-haired man and I did so hesitantly. He sent me a bad vibe.

"So, to get started, Red, this is Seto. He belongs to Krin, Kara, and Kisara," the Magician began.

The other man, Red, turned to me as if he couldn't care less. "And?" He asked.

"We can use him to get them to leave the city. Like a trade, him for their departure," the Magician explained.

"They would do that?" Red asked as he crossed his arms and legs and leaned back.

"I'd do it for Yami," the Magician stated.

"I have found that most owners will go to great lengths to maintain possession of their slaves," the slaver added.

I thought over that plan. Would Krin actually be willing to leave Domino just to have me back? I could see Kisara doing it without question, but she claimed to love me. I didn't see Krin or Kara taking to that plan so easily.

"I just don't see that working," I said.

None of the others had been expecting me to speak, so it took them a minute to think over my words. After several moments, the slaver spoke.

"Seto, do you have something, an object that you are very attached to?"

My hand went up to my neck. I had been working very hard since I had been chosen to keep the locket hidden beneath my clothing. I was worried about what the dragons would do if they caught me with it, so I had been playing it safe. But it still hung there, a comforting, constant weight.

"Yes."

"Is it important enough to you that you would do anything to make sure it was always in your ownership?" The slaver continued.

Would I? There were limits to what I would do for the locket, of course. It wasn't more important to me than Mokuba, but that was because the locket only meant something to be because of him. But the locket tied me to my past, back to better times.

"Within reason," I decided.

"That is how the Blue-Eyes think of you. You belong to them, by now, they have grown attached to you. They will do whatever it takes to get you back."

"And there is the matter of pride," Red added.

I hated being spoken about as though I was nothing more than an object. Part of me considered arguing the fact, but there was really no point to it. After all, these monsters didn't care what my opinions were.

"So we need to arrange a meeting with them. Do we have a negotiator in the area?" The Magician asked.

"Not that I'm aware of. Sending one of the lessers might work just as well," Red stated.

For several minutes, they discussed the best means of contacting the dragons. I just sat there and listened, finding myself slightly bored. I didn't understand why I needed to be present for this. They weren't asking any questions, so I wasn't actually contributing anything.

So there I sat, not really listening as the conversation continued on. The next thing that really pulled my attention was an action of the slaver. He leaned over to see something behind me, then moved his hand in a "come here" gesture.

I didn't turn around, so I didn't have time to react before I was suddenly knocked to the ground. Being thrown forward resulted in my lying flat on my stomach, which meant that I still couldn't see who was behind me. I tried to push myself up, but whoever was on my back kept me down.

It started growling, which lead the Magician to say, with much amusement in his tone, "What are you doing?"

More growls.

"He what?" Red asked.

Growls.

"Let him up and let's talk about this," the Magician said, still sounding as though he found the entire display hilarious.

Whoever it was didn't get off, but the weight let up slightly so I was able to roll over. When I did, my cheek slightly started to throb.

Kuriboh glared down at me and pressed back down on my chest. His eyes flicked to my newly reopened cheek. He seemed to enjoy that, a fact that he showed by tracing it over with this claw. The three others were smirking as they observed.

The Magician finally spoke, "So, Kuriboh, you know our guest?"

Kuriboh growled deeply.

"You lived with him?" The Magician said. Could they actually understand what he was saying?

The slaver leaned forward. "I have been looking for you. I found your kid."

Both Kuriboh and I turned to look at him. It was apparent that we both were equally interested as to where Mokuba was.

"The Blue-Eyes have him."

"What?" I exclaimed. Kuriboh growled simultaneously.

The dragons had Mokuba? He was the kid that the slaver was referring to earlier? That couldn't be possible. The timing just was too ironic. To think that minutes after I left, they found Mokuba. Kisara must have loved that.

The slaver looked to me and cocked his head. "Now why do you care about that child?"

Kuriboh, who was still sitting on top of me, glared over at the slaver. He growled even more, which I believed to be the only way he could speak. I was incredibly confused as to how they knew what he was saying. Maybe it just had to do with sharing a like attribute. But, no, that couldn't be it. The slaver said that he was Earth. He wasn't a Dark monster like the others.

"Your brother belongs to Kuriboh?" Red questioned.

"So interesting," The slaver muttered.

The Magician looked more annoyed than interested. He turned to the slaver and said, "The Light has kidnapped one of ours? That is unacceptable."

"What do you suppose to do about it?" The slaver asked.

The Magician shook his head in thought. "I'm not sure. But I will not allow Krin to get away with that. Taking the kid is an act of war."

I nearly said something, but the slaver glared down at me. I could tell what he was thinking: "_Don't you dare say a word." _I understood why. He didn't want the Magician knowing that he was attempting to trigger the first attack. And this was a good opportunity to get something to happen.

The Magician glanced down at me. "We are going to have to trade him." He was angry. In order to trade me and my brother, he wouldn't be able to force the dragons out of the city.

"Then how will we gain the upper hand with Krin?" Red asked.

I hadn't really noticed it before, but they often only referred to Krin. Was he the only one of the dragons that they were worried about, or was he just in charge?

Kuriboh wasn't listening to them. He glared down at me, keeping his claw against my cheek. As I looked at his hand, I saw the healing scar trailing across. I had been right. It hadn't been Mokuba's blood on the wall.

"There has to be a way to get the kid back without handing over this boy," the Magician muttered. Then he spoke to me, "Did they ever leave you alone?"

I shook my head. "No, there is always one of them on the roof."

The Magician groaned. "Then it looks like a trade might be the only way. What about you, Trap Master? This is your field."

The slaver took a moment to think before saying, "I think I have an idea."

All eyes flipped to him. We waited for him to continue.

"In your earlier plan, you were going to have to trade Seto over anyway. So follow through with that one. Get all three of them to come meet you, and while they are on the ground, I will go up and grab the other child. Seto can be the distraction and the means of trade."

"So that way we get the kid, and make them agree to leave?" Red said, making sure that he understood what the slaver was saying.

"Precisely. We can get exactly what we want, without really giving up anything in the process."

That made the Magician smile. "I like that plan," he said. "I like it a lot. How are we going to set up a meeting with the dragons without causing suspicion?"

They discussed all possible means of doing so, never taking the time to ask Kuriboh to get off of me. He remained sitting on my chest, glaring down at me. For some reason, I assumed that he would be interested in what the others were saying, after all, it did relate to Mokuba. But he didn't so much as glance up at them. I wondered if he realized that I had absolutely no part in helping Mokuba escape. This didn't seem like the best time to ask.

Finally, the Magician's eyes lit up with excitement. He drummed his fingers on the staff while he spoke, "I've got it."

Then making eye contact with both Red and the slaver, he said, "Gentlemen, we are going to march. We'll head out at sunset."

* * *

**Mokuba's POV**

"I miss Seto," Kisara mumbled.

_Thirty-four. _I thought as I stared at the dragon sitting across the roof from me. She hadn't moved much since I had been brought up here, but she hadn't closed her mouth for more than a few minutes either. Just an hour or two ago, I started counting how many times she mentioned my brother. He was her favorite topic.

"Kisara, we will let you take the lead on the next hunt if you will just shut up," Kara stated. She and Krin spent a great deal of their time trying to find a way to make their sister stop talking, but so far, nothing worked.

"No you won't," Kisara said grouchily, "You are just saying that. Right Krin?"

Krin glanced to his sane sister. "I'm not letting her take the lead."

Kisara made a face at her sister.

Their conversations were growing more and more pointless as the time moved forward. Originally, I had been interested to hear all about them, to learn about Seto's time here. But that sort of topic fizzled out and became Krin and Kara shooting insults at Kisara.

"I suppose that you are right on that account, brother," Kara said while glaring at her sister. "She would probably just let our prey escape."

"That is not fair! I'm not the one who said we should take him inside," she defended.

"Aren't you the one who said, 'My beautiful Seto has a way to talk to the boy that the Dark Magician chose'?" Kara asked, mimicking her sister's voice.

"Yes, but it was Krin who decided to take him inside so he could use the computer," Kisara pointed out.

"To find out where the Dark camp is! And Krin stayed with him while he was supposed to be there."

They took him inside to get on the instant messenger? That is how Seto escaped? I found myself laughing slightly at the very thought. But my laughter drew their attention away from the argument.

"What do you think is so funny?" Kara asked.

"Nothing," I stated simply.

Kara rolled her eyes. "We can tell that you are lying, so there is really no point to it."

"Well, it's just kind of funny that Seto got away because you wanted to AIM."

They sent each other confused looks. I hadn't thought about the fact that they most likely didn't know that Seto's instant messenger was called AIM, or that it was even called instant messaging. So I decided to clarify.

"Anyone could do that for you."

"Could you?" Kisara asked.

"Yeah, if I had a computer," I answered.

"Kisara, don't do this again. Remember, that is the reason we lost Seto," Kara said.

"There are three of us here now. He won't be going anywhere."

"Are you really willing to risk that? Wasn't it you who was just telling us how now that we had his brother, Seto wasn't going to leave again? There isn't really even a high chance that the Magician's kid is going to get on at the same time," Krin said.

Kisara groaned and threw her hands into the air. "Krin! He can't go anywhere if we are all watching him. I made a mistake with Seto. It isn't going to happen again!"

"You're right. It won't happen again. But that is because that kid isn't going inside," Krin said.

"I'm sorry, I thought that you wanted to know where the Magician was hiding," Kisara spat.

I felt the need to jump in to say that I wasn't going to try to run away. But Krin sort of terrified me and Kara reminded me of Seto before he had his coffee in the mornings. I believed it to be in my best interests to stay out of their debate as long as it wasn't directed at me.

"We will find the Dark camp another way. Clearly this isn't going to work," Kara said.

"Clearly? How is that clear? All we need him to do is get it open for us. Then we can bring him back up. Nothing will happen!"

Krin and Kisara continued shouting at each other. I stopped watching them when I noticed that Kara was glaring intently at me. Her eyes were fixed on mine, examining me. Shifting uncomfortably in her line of sight, I tried to decide why I had suddenly drawn her attention.

She stood up and walked over to me, stood over me, and kept glaring down. I watched while she got to her knees in front of me so that she could better look into my eyes. What was she looking for?

"Would you try anything?" She questioned with her unwavering gaze.

I shook my head.

"You ran away from your owner, didn't you? What should make us think that you won't try that again with us?"

By now, both Krin and Kisara were watching us instead of fighting. It felt as though I was being interrogated by all three of them, not just the girl standing before me.

"I ran away to find Seto. I was coming here and Seto would kill me for saying this, but I'm pretty sure that you are going to end up finding him again," I answered.

Did I really think that they were going to find Seto? I wasn't entirely sure. But I had been telling myself that fact for a few hours now. They had to get Seto back, otherwise, I would have run away for nothing.

"I think he is telling the truth. At least about the part where he won't run away," Kara said, turning to her siblings.

They did some sort of head and hand gestures to each other. It seemed to me as though they were speaking without actually voicing their thoughts. Such a thing shouldn't surprise me. After all, they were dragons. Dragons shouldn't exist. It only made sense that if dragons existed, then they should be able to communicate without talking.

"Fine. But if he escapes, this one is on you two," Krin said as he got to his feet.

Kara held out a hand to me. I took it and allowed her to pull me up to my feet. But then she stepped away from me, and in doing so, moved away from the door that I had been leaning against.

They looked like they were about to change into dragons again. Did they not know that there was a door a foot behind me?

"Are you guys not going to use the door?" I asked just before Kisara had the chance to shift forms.

"It is locked," Krin stated.

"Don't you have like, 3000 attack power?"

"What?" Kara asked.

I then realized that they probably had no idea that they were cards from a game. She wouldn't understand the reference.

"I mean, I thought you were like, super-strong or something."

Kisara giggled. "Well, we are! But if we break the door, then we won't be able to lock it again. Then my love will just be able to walk right out whenever he wants to."

I dug my fingernail into my palm to keep from laughing. _Her love, _I thought with amusement. I couldn't wait to find Seto to make fun of him. The very thought of someone loving Seto romantically, especially after meeting him, was laughable.

"Do you sleep in that form?" I asked, gesturing to their human bodies.

"No," Kisara said.

"Then just sleep in front of the door and he won't be able to go anywhere," I said, making it sound as thought it was the most obvious answer in the world.

"Do you really just not want to fly down?" Kara asked.

I hadn't really expected her to catch on to that fact. I wondered if dragons could understand the concept of being afraid of heights. The concept of being dangled from a helicopter was another that they probably couldn't relate to either.

"What makes you say that?" I asked.

"You just gave us a method of keeping your brother trapped," She stated.

Oh. I didn't really think about it that way. I did just cut off Seto's only means of escape from the roof, and just because I didn't want to jump off the edge of the building. He was so going to kill me.

"I'm afraid of heights."

Kisara cocked her head as if she didn't understand what I had just said. "What?" She asked, trying to clarify my statement.

"I'm afraid of falling to my death. I don't have wings, you know."

Kisara nodded, but still looked confused. Krin looked bored. Kara looked amused.

"Is it faster to go through that door?" Krin asked, and pointed his hand towards the door I had been leaning against.

"Probably. And you don't have to keep jumping from human to dragon to human and so forth."

Krin walked back over to the door and twisted the knob harshly. Even from several feet away, I could hear the sound of parts breaking. He placed both hands on the center and pushed, and the door swung open. There were no lights on inside, but that didn't stop him from walking straight in.

I felt a hand on my lower back slowly push me forward. Glancing up, I saw Kara standing beside me. She rolled her yes when I didn't immediately move and pushed me forward a bit harder.

The staircase didn't have any lights. I'm sure that it did at one point in time, but either they were shot, or the electricity didn't work. For some reason, I assumed that Light monsters shouldn't be able to see in the dark, but the dragons had no visible problems moving through the hallways. I let Kara guide me until things grew lighter as we neared windows.

They seemed to know where they were going. That struck me as odd. They hadn't come in through that door before, so they should only know their way from the bottom up. But Krin went straight to the stairs and entered. Kara still was directing me, so I followed.

But, Seto's office was on this floor. Why weren't they going there?

And it hit me. Seto never told the dragons who he was. The name printed boldly on the office door, "SETO KAIBA" would have given him away. To keep his last name a secret, he would have had to take them to a different office.

The CFO's office was an interesting choice. I wondered why it had been that particular office that he thought of.

When we stepped inside, I looked around. That couch pushed up against the far wall looked as though one would sink deep into it upon sitting down. Its surface appeared soft enough that just touching it could make a person fall asleep. Could it have been made of heaven? I really wanted to find out.

But Kara wouldn't let me. She lead me over to the computer and sat me down.

"Do it."

I mock saluted and reached down to turn on the computer, only to find that it was still on. It shouldn't have been such a surprise. Seto did only escape a few hours prior.

I shook the mouse until the monitor lit up. Due to inactivity, the computer had logged him out of the program, so I would have to figure out his password.

Back before all of this, Seto's password had been _#3whitedragons. _I seriously doubted that it was still the same thing. If I knew Seto, and I was fairly confident that I did, he would have changed it to something else. But what else was personal, and fairly complicated?

Just to get started, I typed in my name. It was obvious, simple to hack, and unfortunately, it was also wrong.

"Can you not do it?" Kara questioned.

I jumped slightly. I had forgotten that she was standing directly over my shoulder.

"I can. It will just take me a minute."

Tapping my fingers against the keys, I decided to try Seto's birthday. He didn't publicize it, so it might be secure enough for him.

_102592_

_Authentication failed: Invalid Username or Password. Please try again._

I cracked my knuckles and tried my birthday.

_070795_

_Authentication failed: Invalid Username or Password. Please try again_

Krin, who was leaning beside the door, groaned. "If you can't do it, why are we in here?"

What could it be? There were dozens of ways to write out a birthday alone. How could I chose the right one? And I had no way of even proving that it was one of our birthdays. It could be a random city around the world for all I knew. He could have opened a dictionary and picked a word from any page.

_Atlanta_

_Authentication failed: Invalid Username or Password. Hint?_

I smiled. I had forgotten about the hint option. Seto didn't really seem like the type to enable it, but I clicked it, hoping that he hadn't left it blank. A small note appeared.

_Kiddo, it is your 0ld nickname. With a zero. -Be careful_

Of course! If I had managed to get to the computer at some point, I would need to be able to log on to his account. Since he wasn't able to tell me the password with Kuriboh being so possessive, he left me a way of figuring it out. My fingers ran quickly across the keys.

_Mokie0_

_Authentication failed: Invalid Username or Password. Hint?_

Frowning, I stopped to stare at the screen. Maybe it was an old hint. He could have changed the password, but forgotten to fix the hint, which I clicked on again. When the message appeared, I read it again. With a zero, at the beginning? I nearly considered trying that, but reconsidered. Too many attempts and the system might shut me out.

_M0kie_

And I was in. It was really obvious after looking again at the "o" in "old." It was the number, not the letter. I cannot believe that it took me that long. I wouldn't be telling Seto about that.

"I'm in," I said.

Kara leaned closer. "Is the Magician's kid on?" She asked.

I scanned the list of names quickly and shook my head. "No, he's not. It doesn't look like anyone is on right now."

"So we wait, again!" Kisara exclaimed irritatedly. She fell onto the couch that I wanted to be asleep on, and I just glared at her, envying. I had just woken up a few hours ago, but just looking at the couch made me tired.

Kara moved to sit on the desk. They were getting prepared to wait for a while, which meant that I would have to wait for a while. But since I was on the computer, I might as well look through Seto's stuff.

I pulled up his email. Since it was for his business, the password was more secure than his instant messenger account, and also had nothing to do with Duel Monsters. I had it memorized, so I had it pulled up and opened quickly.

It had only been a week since he was taken by the dragons. He already received over two-hundred messages. He never told me how many people poured to him for help. There were emails from random citizens, government officials, about twenty from Joey, and several from some guy named Harrison.

I skimmed over the subjects, finding myself increasingly bored with them. Only one caught my eye. URGENT, it read. I initially would have guessed that it was from a citizen who needed something, but this one was sent by the government. Sending an email with the subject in all caps didn't seem very professional, which is why it interested me. I clicked it.

_Mr. Kaiba, _

_As you have yet to respond to our last several messages, we are forced to assume the worst. In the event that you are simply unable to access a computer at this time, the President has allowed you ten days to reply before we take action. _

_Our studies show that Domino, California, has more of these monsters than any other place in the country. It is because of this that the President feels we should focus our attention on clearing out the city of the beasts. We have come to understand that they are capable of speech, so we made attempts to reach out to them, but they have refused our demands. We are being forced into action. _

_As there is no longer any ruling figure in your city, we are coming to you, Mr. Kaiba. Several other letters of this sort have been sent to a select few of the other citizens, but we have yet to receive a response from any. If we do not receive a reply from you within the next ten days, we will have no other choice than to take immediate action. It is our understanding that most all of the citizens in Domino that have not been taken captive by a creature have escaped, which is why we have been given the authority for an air strike against the city. We have no other option. The monsters must come to know that we are not a nation to be messed with, and their actions will be met with dire consequences. _

_If you get this message in the allotted time, respond only if you need additional time to evacuate the city. The President has a job lined up for you here if you find yourself in a position to help. _

_We sincerely hope that you are out of the city in time._

And his electronic signature rested at the bottom, but I didn't take the time to read over his name.

Air strike. So they were going to bomb the city? What about all of the people still inside? Were they so willing to risk the lives of so many American citizens? This had to be a joke. It couldn't be happening. We were still in the city. Everyone I knew was still in this city.

I quickly looked at the date the message was sent. Then I realized that I really had no idea what day I was currently living in, so I looked that up to. To my great relief, the message was sent only the day before. That left nine days before the attack.

I had to respond. I had to tell him that they couldn't attack. I wasn't Seto, but that guy didn't need to know that. I could sound professional. Right? This wasn't the first time I had sent an email to someone important. This would work. It had to work. It had to work. It just had to.

"What are you looking at?" Kara asked. She leaned so she could see the screen. I waited as her eyes looked over the lines displayed.

"What does that mean?" She asked after finishing the message.

"It means that in nine days, this city won't exist," I stated. That drew the attention of the other two dragons.

"How so?" Krin questioned.

"A bomb will destroy everything within miles. No one will be able to survive it. Me, you –all of you- and Seto will die unless we get out now, or I respond to him."

"We aren't letting you send out a message," Krin stated.

Now it was my turn to stare at him. "If I don't send this message, we will all die," I repeated, making sure that he understood what I was saying.

"I heard that. However, you said nine days. By then, we should have Seto back. If we clear out the city of all the Light species and our allies, then that would just leave the Dark here. There would be no need for us to fight if this bomb is truly as deadly as you claim," Krin said.

He was smiling.

"No. I have to answer this man. Innocent people will die if I don't," I insisted. He couldn't be serious.

"Kara, is he still connected to our way of contact?" Krin asked.

Kara glanced down at the screen. "He is," she answered. She seemed to know what he meant behind the question because she pulled me to my feet and began to drag me towards the door.

"No! You can't do this! People will die! Seto could die!" I shouted. I tried to fight against the dragon holding onto me, but it was no use. She was far stronger than me.

"No, this is perfect," Krin whispered.

I kept shouting, but he no longer heard my words. He had moved over to the computer, taking a seat where I had just been. He didn't look up to me as Kara dragged me out the door, although I was doing everything I could think to draw his attention.

Domino was going to go up in flames, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it.

* * *

So, You know what is fun? Writing a minor panic attack. I think I made Mokuba's brain malfunction.

**W A R N I N G: **I put warnings in all chapters that are going to include more. . . violent things. So for the next chapter, don't say that I didn't tell you. If you don't like painful/dark things, just read Seto's POV for Chapter Fourteen. Skip Mokuba's. I'll put a summary of it at the end.  
However, for people who read things of a violent nature all the time, it isn't going to seem like a big deal at all. That is mostly a warning for younger readers who aren't ready for PG-13 just yet. Haha.

-Since I'm out for the summer, it would forreal make my day if you guys reviews a whole lot!


	14. Fourteen

**Shinryu-Twilight Dragon**- Krin's pretty smart, eh? And I love Kara and Mokuba. That is totally going to come into play later on. But yeah, she isn't going to be getting soft any time soon - or ever. I hope you like this chapter!

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination**- Are you saying that you'd jump off the KC roof? I'm not sure if I would go that far. . . and Yes. Red is the Red Eyes. Yup! Your wild stab was correct. Red is the Red Eyes.

**Havelock Vetinari**- Yeah, you had to know that Domino's citizens weren't the only concerned people. And I've never heard of that comic book series, but then again, I don't really read comic books. Haha. Maybe I'll check it out some time.

**PeachTeaKT**- Kuriboh is a demon. A evil, annoying, awful little demon. He is actually the only monster whose fate that I haven't decided. I know what will happen to all the others. No worries, I'm thinking about it. Thanks for the review!

**AyaseFanGirl**- Thanks for sending that message! Yes, it did motivate me to get this chapter finished. I told you all that it would work. And if you like the slaver in this chapter, be worried. He is a creeper in this one. Okay, so, yes. . . yes. . . .yes. . . You seem to have this story all figured out. Haha- can you predict what will happen next?

**The Prime Director-** Kisara just doesn't seem quite as evil, does she? I'm going to have to do something about that. Chapter Fifteen - Wait for it. Also, go back and reread the last chapter. I mentioned who the slaver was, but it was just thrown into the conversation, so you may have overlooked it. And yes, Red is the Red-Eyes. Come on, you can't have Yugi without Joey, and you can't have the Dark Magician without the Red-Eyes. Oh Kuriboh, I love all my reviewers responses to the little furball. It seems to be that everyone wants him dead.

**ZQuill**- Thanks! I'm really glad that you enjoyed it, but. . . why was it one of the best? Haha- I totally didn't think that. Plus, I like that you enjoy Yugi's death and Kuriboh. I'm one of those people who likes the details like that- the things that authors don't touch on too much, or that are just unexpected. And you'll be seeing more of Red in the future, just not too much of him now. Hope to hear from you again!

**Victor Pentrenko**- Trust me. I'm glad that I'm out for the summer too. Haha. And I was happy to give the advice! I hate writer's block with a passion (and I'm having some now, which is why I'm writing the review responses instead of getting back to the chapter. Seriously, I stopped right as Krin grabs Seto's arm.) Something happened to your computer? Mine randomly shuts off all the time. Another piece of advice, SAVE CONSTANTLY. Haha.

**drake0**- Thanks for taking the time to review! It means a lot and I hope you like this chapter!

**Everwild- **Thanks! I am very glad that you like the plot and find it original. That was sort of my goal. Haha. I hope to see you around in later chapters!

**Lace Kyoko- **You're back! And with two reviews no less. That was pretty cool of you. And believe me, I understand how rough school can get, so no worries. The bomb. . . It does make everything seem more urgent. Then again, it totally is. Everyones' favourite Kaibas only have nine days to stop this thing. (Then again, my last like, four chapters have taken place in a single day, so it could be a while.)

**A N D M Y W A R N I N G! **_Okay people, this warning might be pointless. However, just for all of you people who don't like graphic(__ish__) details, I suggest not reading the very bottom part of Mokuba's POV. I'll post a summary of it at the bottom. And really, it isn't THAT bad. But I'll be posting a more serious warning in the next chapter too. That one is going to make this chapter look like nothing._

* * *

**Seto's POV**

"Are you ready dragon-boy?"

Of course I wasn't ready. His hot, sticky breath against my ear was a reminder of the horrible situation that I was in. He was standing too close to me as he whispered, making the hairs on the back of my neck tingle with my unease. There was nothing I could do to stop him, however. The grip on either of my arms held me in place; their hands were just as strong as the metal cuffs connecting my wrists.

They had even gone as far as to take away my voice. The Magician claimed that the gag was to prevent me from shouting out to the dragons, but I sensed the slaver's hand behind the action. I mentally blamed the cloth between my teeth on the Trap Master.

I knew where we were going, but I couldn't tell where we were. The thick barrier across my eyes prevented me from observing my surroundings. All that I was capable of doing was walking next to the Magician and Red, following their guiding grips. I relied mostly on my sense of hearing for information now that my eyes and voice were taken from me. The footsteps behind me were beginning to slow down. The large group of allies that the Magician had recruited had moved rather loudly behind us the entire time we walked, but now their steps fell silent.

Only a few moments later, the Magician and Red stopped as well. The warmth from the Sun that I felt on my arms held tightly in front of me let me know that we stood out from underneath the shadow of KaibaCorp. They were keeping their distance from the dragons.

A complete calm fell over the group while we all waited for the Magician to speak. His fingers curled tighter over my arm just before he spoke.

"Krin! Kara! Kisara, baby! I've got something of yours!" He shouted.

My eyes squeezed shut underneath the cloth, as if that would block out some of the noise to my left. The Magician's voice had to be loud enough to carry up to the top of the building, which meant it was louder than what was comfortable for my ears.

Seconds passed. Inside my thoughts, I could hear the ticking of a clock, as if one was actually near to me. Each second seemed longer than the last while we waited for a response.

I couldn't see their approach, but I felt it. The light from the transformation traveled down to where we were standing. My cheeks received the largest amount of heat, barely burning the uncovered skin.

"One, two - that's all three. Signal the slaver."

Their plan was working. If all three dragons were currently flying down for me, then Mokuba would be left unguarded on the roof. The slaver would have no problems taking him if Mokuba was left defenseless.

The idea of my brother being defenseless angered me. I needed to find a way to let the dragons know that the exchange was a trap, but how could I do so while bound? There were no signs that I could send to them that might alert them to the trick. All I could do was wait it out and hope that one of them would catch on to the scam.

The heat was warmer the second time, telling me that they had landed.

"Seto," came Kisara's quiet voice. There were muffled whispers and footsteps from somewhere in front of me. I could picture the scene clearly. Kisara seeing me and trying to come forward, but Krin stopping her with an extended arm. He would be more concerned with the small army standing behind me.

"Yes, the poor thing. I found him out wandering on the streets. Have you not warned him how dangerous strangers can be?" The Magician said. Through his tone, I practically felt the smirk.

"How kind of you to return our pet," Kara spat.

"What can I say? I'm in a giving mood this evening, so I decided to return the boy to you safe and unharmed."

"Unharmed? It looks like you harmed him to me!" A quiet shushing from Krin kept Kisara from continuing with her exclamation.

"Oh, you mean this?" the Magician asked. I then felt the end of the staff rubbing against the side of my face where the long cut was. My unconscious reaction was to jerk my head away, but I couldn't move far. "He was like this when I found him," the Magician added.

I heard a increasingly familiar growl from somewhere behind me. Kuriboh, I assumed. Was he simply happy that I had been injured because of an action of his?

"Keep stalling," Red whispered from my right. The grim monster beside me had one main job on this mission: to watch for the slaver's signal. The Dark monsters' intention was to pull back the instant that they received word that Mokuba was back in their possession.

"Now Krin, I've got to know. How is it that this little boy managed to escape you three? Have you lost your touch?" The Magician shouted.

"Why is it that you feel the need to approach us with an army, Magician? Are you afraid?" Krin countered. The relaxed tone to his voice was unnerving. How did he possibly stay calm when facing a group of his enemies?

"An army?" The Magician asked. I felt his body twist, though he still maintained his hold on my arm, as he seemed to be looking behind himself. "You mean these guys?" He asked as he turned back to face Krin. "No, this is just a few personal friends. But no worries, you'll be seeing my true army soon enough."

I didn't understand how the dragons didn't suspect something as being wrong. The Magician hadn't even gotten to the topic of trading me back yet. Instead, he was delaying with the monster form of small talk. Even if I hadn't been in the room while they were planning, I would have been able to tell that the situation was not as it should have been.

"I might feel threatened if you had the means to back that up," Krin stated.

"Ouch, Krin, you hurt me. Would you just prefer that I left you alone?" The Magician asked. He feigned pulling me away as though he were going to leave.

"No!" Kisara shouted. "Give him back to me!"

"Kisara dear, that is why I've come."

A hand was placed on my head and began patting softly. I tried to pull away from the Magician's touch, but Red's grip on my other arm held me in place.

"This child deserves to be with a loving owner. And I think that's you, babe."

"So hand him over," Kara said.

"Not that simple, sweetheart."

There was the crackle of lightning accompanied by a low growling that followed the Magician's comment. Kara didn't seem like she had the sort of personality that would take well to a pet name. But after the sound died away, there was a moment of silence between the two sides. The only noise that could be picked out was heavy breathing coming from somewhere out in front of the group I stood in. I associated it with Kisara.

"You didn't really think that I'd just hand him over, did you?"

"What do you want?" Krin asked grimly.

"I would think that answer is obvious. Your toy in exchange for the city."

A pause followed. I took the quiet as the dragons thinking over the offer. Then, "You expect us to leave just because you have our slave?"

Red's grip on my arm grew tighter. He apparently was worried that the dragons wouldn't accept. What would happen to their plan if Krin refused? However, the Magician was seemingly unfazed by Krin's words.

"Say no if you'd like. My Yami would love to have a playmate," the Magician lied. I knew that he was lying because the level of jealously that I knew he possessed. And if I knew he was lying, the dragons would as well.

"You knew that we wouldn't agree to that, so you brought back up. Am I correct?" Kara asked.

"No need to get angry with me. I'm just trying to give you back your kid. Can you blame me for trying to use this to my advantage?"

While they argued, I let my mind wander. How far had the slaver gotten in his mission? How was Mokuba doing at that very moment? I hoped more than anything that he was okay, that he would be able to escape from whatever the slaver was trying. Since the Dark monsters hadn't left, I assumed that nothing had happened yet. If Mokuba was taken back, he would be punished. The Magician made it sound like he would kill someone for just running away, but Mokuba had injured Kuriboh. How much worse would his punishment be for that action?

I hated the feel of the hands on my arms, holding me, restraining me. Being helpless at anyone's hand actually felt like torture. It was my personal belief that I'd rather be killed than helpless.

"Come on Krinny. I don't think I'm asking too much, just the one thing. Get lost."

I heard a low growling from somewhere in front of me. It was time to figure out the truth. Was I the dragons' locket?

"All us leaving will accomplish is bringing about your deaths," Krin threatened.

"I'm willing to risk that."

"Just hand him over," Kara growled.

They were giving in. They were actually giving in. I don't know what I expected to happen. If anything, I expected Kisara to fight for me, but I didn't think Kara and Krin would give in without fight.

But, they couldn't leave. If they left, I would have no way of getting to Mokuba. Once I was out of the city, there would be no way for me to get to him. I doubted that the dragons would care about Mokuba's absence. The only part of his kidnapping that they would be upset over was the fact that the Magician had tricked them.

"And you'll leave?" The Magician pressed.

"Yes! Just give me Seto!" Kisara shouted.

"You need to stall. We have yet to receive the signal from the slaver," Red whispered.

The Magician shifted nervously. "I have nothing else. They agreed. What more can I do?"

Being the genius that I was, I figured out what the Magician would do before he did. The certainty of his plan rang across my thoughts. There was nothing I could do to stop it from occurring. My only goal would have to be to get out of the way before he tried something.

An unexpected motion pulled me forward, causing me to stumble. Although Red had released his grip on my arm, the Magician's grasp was still strong enough to keep me from falling over as we continued to walk forward. I followed beside him blindly, hoping that he wouldn't let me bump into anything. Not being able to see scared me. That was probably the point of blindfolds in general, but I had never pictured myself as the type to panic when deprived of a sense.

And I was panicking. The dragons had been angry when they found out that I hadn't been entirely honest about my name. What would their reaction be to my running away, getting kidnapped by Dark monsters, and inadvertently forcing them out of the city?

When we stopped moving, I felt a second hand grab onto my arm where Red's had been. However, the Magician did not let go on his side.

"You have to be out of the city by sunset tomorrow," he stated.

Krin's voice came from beside me, letting me know that it was his hand firmly wrapped around my arm. "You realize that you can't actually force us to leave. This army isn't nearly strong enough to defeat us three."

"Leave or you won't get back Seto here."

"I have him in my grasp. Do you really believe that he won't be leaving with me, whether or not I agree to your deal?"

"I'll be checking in tomorrow to ensure that you are gone," the Magician said. He then dropped his hold on me.

Krin pulled me back. Hearing a third set of footprints, I knew that the Magician was walking away as well. Krin hadn't figured it out yet. The Magician was about to do it. I needed to get away.

"Seto darling! You're alive!" Kisara shouted as I felt a pair of arms wrap around my body. I waited for her anger to kick in, for her to remember that I had tricked her into letting me escape just that morning. But before that could happen, I heard the Magician call out, "Oh, and Krin? Consider this the first act of war!"

Kisara's arms that were surrounding me spun me away from the attack I had predicted would come. A fight between both sides was breaking out, and the last thing I wanted was to be helpless during it.

I reached up my chained hands and pulled at the blindfold covering my eyes. It was on tightly, but after a few attempts, I managed to get it to fall around my neck.

The scene before me was exactly how I had been picturing it. The dragons and I stood underneath the deepening shadow cast by the tall building beside us. Kisara held me protectively while Krin and Kara's hands lit up with the familiar white lightning. The Magician stood several yards in front of his troops, holding out the staff towards Krin as he sent long black tendrils out its end. The rest of the Dark monsters stood behind Red in a fighting stance.

I tugged uselessly at the gag between my teeth. I couldn't reach the knot in the back, and it was too taut to pull it out. Kisara's eyes constantly flickered from her siblings to the Magician, then back to me, as if she didn't know where her attention should be placed.

Mokuba. If the Dark side was still stalling, then that meant that the slaver hadn't completed his mission. There might still be time to get back to the roof to save Mokuba from being kidnapped yet again. Kisara's attention needed to be placed on the roof towering over us.

I snapped my fingers to bring her gaze back to me. Just by looking into her eyes, I could see that she remembered her previous anger. I tried to pretend that I hadn't noticed. Instead, I pointed up to the roof in a worthless attempt to convey my message.

She shook her her, clearly not understanding my meaning. I once more tried to remove the gag, and this time, Kisara helped me. She reached up and in one swift move, cut the cloth with a fingernail. I took a moment to log away the information that her claws were just as dangerous in human form.

"Kisara, this is a trap," I stated the moment I was free to speak. "They are trying to distract you so they can take Mokuba."

Her head twitched very briefly. I wasn't lying; she had to know that.

She whipped her head back to stare at her sister who stood across the road. Without a word, Kara returned the glance. The arrogant sister's face twisted in confusion, but without hesitation, she jumped into the air, transforming into a dragon.

The glow from her change momentarily ended the fight the Dark monsters had been putting up. I watched as the Magician's arms moved to cover his face, as did the rest of the Dark beasts.

Krin was unaffected by the light. He used the opportunity to unleash a large display of lightning that struck several of the monsters opposing him. The beasts that had been struck crumbled to the ground, no longer moving. And as the light died out, Krin repeated his attack.

Kara flew higher into the air, her broad wings pumping heavily to propel her upwards. Yet it was my opinion that she wasn't moving fast enough. What if we were too late?

I could see Red watching her fly into the air as well. If he knew why she was leaving their fight, then he would make an attempt to stop her.

But then I caught it. His head leaned barely to the side, and his eyes glanced down the alley beside KaibaCorp. There was a nod, just the faintest dipping of his chin, but I knew what it meant. He had received the signal. The slaver had gotten my brother. Kara would find the roof empty.

The Dark monsters began to retreat gradually. Kisara noticed as she continued to hold on to me. Her grasp on me only eased enough for her to look back at Krin. He had taken several steps forward in the retreating monsters direction, still shooting out tendrils of lightning. After a few more steps, he met his sister's eyes.

I watched as his eyes traveled up the side of the building, searching the skies. Kara was no longer flying around. I didn't know how to react to that. If Mokuba wasn't there, shouldn't she come back down?

Krin approached Kisara and myself, not even bothering to glance at me. His normally pale hands were tinged with red, most likely from the amount of electricity that had been coursing through them only moments prior. His eyes were burning with the white energy.

"Kara?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"She went up to check on Mokuba."

Both dragons turned to glare at me. I closed my eyes and waited for the outburst I expected to follow. The sinking feeling in my chest couldn't possibly reflect the punishment I knew would come. Every fiber of my soul was praying that just maybe, time would reverse back to the day long ago when Yugi announced his idea. If anyone had stopped him, I wouldn't have to open my eyes to face the two dragons.

But while my eyes were closed, I felt the heat again. Kara had shifted into a dragon far above me, most likely about to come down. Then she would tell her siblings how my brother was in fact gone. She only would be adding onto their reasons for being enraged with me. Perhaps the best that I could hope for was for them not to kill me.

I took a deep breath as Kara landed, then dared to open my eyes. Krin was no longer directing his gaze at me, but at his sister. Kisara still stared. Her face burned in outrage towards me, and her hands that she had long since dropped from me were clenched into fists.

"The kid is gone," Kara said flatly.

"Then it was a set up?" Krin said. I could tell that he wasn't really searching for an answer.

"Looks that way," Kara answered anyway.

Then they were back to glaring at me. I bit down on my lip to hold back the long stream of excuses that were fighting to escape. I knew that they wouldn't care why I left, only that I had. No excuse would satisfy them.

"Welcome home, _love,_" Kisara fumed.

Her fingers reached out and grabbed hold of the chain still connecting my wrists. She pulled me close to her, using her other hand to seize my hair. She then jerked my head down so that our lips brushed as she spoke, "Oh my love, you are seriously going to regret that."

* * *

**Mokuba's POV**

I told them that I wouldn't try to escape. Yet, that didn't keep me from trying to figure out how I could.

A bombing. The city was going to be bombed in just over a week, and here I was, sitting on a roof, listening to Kisara sing some love song about my brother. There had to be something I could do, but all I was able to come up with was to try to convince one of the dragons that Domino was no longer safe.

Yet even if I did manage to do so, what would I really be accomplishing? Getting monsters out of the city would defeat the purpose of bombing. Convincing them to leave would do nothing for Seto or the innocent people of Domino. I needed to think bigger picture.

If I could just tell that woman, Mrs. Nale, about the situation, she would easily be able to get word out. Her job was moving people in and out of the city. She had the resources and the contacts to spread the word of the attack.

I pressed my lips together and rolled my eyes, trying not to groan. I had no idea how I could empty the city of all the innocent people.

Krin knew that I wanted to stop the bombing. He kept me at his side from the moment he stepped foot back onto the roof. I currently sat within six inches of his body. If I tried to move any further away, he'd either growl, or grab and pull me back. He really liked his plan to destroy the enemy monsters.

I absentmindedly began to to unwrap the bandages that had been covering my feet for the past week. I was certain that the skin underneath had healed, so they seemed pointless to remain on.

"The mountains would make a safe hide out," Kisara suggested.

"We might have to move further than that," Krin said. "Our fellow troops in San Francisco have take that city. We will find safe haven there."

They spent the full day discussing the specifics of their plan. They didn't seem to care that I was listening in. It didn't really matter; the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I was their prisoner. Who would I be telling?

"Krin! Kara! Kisara, baby! I've got something of yours!"

The conversation fell into silence. Kara stood up and went to the edge to look down.

"It's the Magician. He has an army with him." She paused to squint. "And, is that Seto?"

With her question, both Krin and Kisara jumped to their feet and ran to stand next to their sister. All three took a moment to stare down, attempting to see if Seto was in fact down on the ground.

"Oh Krin! It is him!" Kisara squealed as she clasped her hands together.

"We have to go down," Kara stated.

Krin nodded, then stepped back. I closed my eyes because I knew what was about to come. Earlier, I thought that just one of them changing was bright. But now that all three shifted forms at the same moment, the light felt like staring into the Sun. Even turning entirely away, covering my face, and hiding to the best of my ability did little in the way of protection.

When the burning ceased, I slowly checked if it was safe to open my eyes. Upon finding that it was, I ran as close to the edge as I dared. Then I dropped to lie flat on my stomach and pushed my hands onto the concrete surface below me. I used them to inch towards the drop off, moving until my head partially extended over.

I couldn't see anything more than a group of figures far below. The dragons' eye sight must have been far superior to my own in order to make out individuals.

It was unfortunate, as I really wanted to see Seto. Only a week had passed since Kuriboh locked him out of the house, but I felt safer when he was around. I needed him.

"Well, well. Watching the show?"

Startled, I slid back. I jumped up and spun around.

The slaver smiled at me from the opposite side of the roof. I hated doing so, but I had to get away from the steep fall behind me. I did not want to move any closer to the man who had kept my chained up for a week, but I had no choice.

"I am going to need you to come with me," he said.

"What happened to leaving me alone as long as I stay here?" I asked.

"Oh! And he speaks!" The slaver exclaimed as he took a step towards me.

Had I really never spoken to him? I made a point of ignoring him while I was his captive, and then again this morning when he came by. Maybe I really had managed to keep quiet the entire time.

"You didn't answer."

I took a step to the side. I tried not to look at the door jutting out from the center of the roof, but it was on the surface of my thoughts. The dragons were getting Seto, so I had to stall long enough for them to succeed. Then they would return and kick slaver-butt.

"Answer what exactly?" He asked with a laugh. I watched as he too took a step to the side.

"You said I could stay here," I answered and took another step.

He shrugged. "I say things." Step.

I made sure that with every step, I was drawing closer to the open doorway. My steps in were gradual, as I had no intentions of giving away my plan or moving into the slaver's range. I only stepped as he did. If he continued circling the roof with me, I would soon be close enough.

"Why the sudden change of heart? Under a spell?"

I smirked at the joke I knew he wouldn't understand.

"As it happens, your master really wants you back, and the Magician is willing to do what it takes to get you to where you belong."

The scene on the ground far below came to mind. I was the reason the Dark beasts were down there. It really had nothing to do with Seto; he provided a distraction. That left the question lingering unspoken on my lips. How important was Kuriboh?

"And where is that?" I asked, hoping to get him talking long enough to make it to the doorway.

"Chained to the floor in their headquarters," he said cheerfully.

Another ten feet and I would be at the door. Either the slaver failed to notice or he was giving me opportunity to try to get away from him.

"What is with the chain thing? Is it some kind of fetish?" I asked, taking two more steps.

He grinned brightly. "You certainly are an interesting child. I can see why Kuriboh enjoys your company."

He took a step and I did the same. Two or three more and I would be ready to make a sudden spring into the halls of KaibaCorp.

"So Seto being down there is a distraction?"

"Amazing that you and your brother got caught up in the midst of all this, no? It makes me curious as to what is so special about you two."

He stopped walking then. We stood about a dozen yards apart, but I still hadn't gotten to where I needed to be. If he didn't begin walking again, then my only option would be to start running from the farther location. That would decrease my chances.

"Like you said, I'm just really unlucky."

He laughed. "Oh child, I sincerely hope that they do not cut your tongue out. The things you say. . ." and his words trailed off.

I was running out of ways to carry on the conversation. If I tried to drag it on any longer, then he might act before me. I probably had just seconds left.

I took off. Since the door was handing off its hinges, I didn't have to waste time pulling it open.

My feet wouldn't move fast enough. I threw one in front of another, yet it felt as thought I was crawling. My every breath seemed to make me heavier. As my lungs filled with air I forced myself to quickly breathe out to rid myself of the excess weight. The end result came close to hyperventilating, but I didn't care as long as I was moving. He had come in behind me. I heard him chuckling as he followed.

Needing to gain distance, I consider my choices for where to run. The staircase would be a terrible decision. I had seen the slaver jump the eighty stories that was KaibaCorp. He would be able to catch up with me almost instantly. So I was trapped on this one floor. Seto's office was up here. I could try to barricade myself inside, but how long could that last?

I briefly closed my eyes and prayed that his door wasn't locked. The office was located at the end of a hall. I was betting everything on that door being open.

As I turned the corner, my momentum threw me into a wall. My shoulder burned as it took the brunt of the hit, but I quickly pushed off and set my sight on the double doors. One of them was cracked open!

The slaver was close. If anything, he had gained ground in his chase. He was too close. I didn't know if I'd have enough time to get the door closed behind me once I was inside.

But I tried anyways. As soon as I had the knob in my grip, I used it to pull myself forward. Then I slammed the door back.

It stopped just inches from shutting completely. The slaver's body collided into the other side. I leaned against my side, pressing with all my force to shorten the remaining gap. My biggest difficulty was my smaller size. The slaver had the weight advantage and I knew that something had to be done to tip the fight in my favor.

"Come on, child. No need to make this difficult," the slaver said, but I could hear the enjoyment in his words.

My eyes darted about the area near me. I needed to find something to help me get the door closed and locked. The only thing within my reach was a small end table with an assortment of classic books held up by bookends shaped like trees.

The bookends! They were solid silver, so they would be heavy.

While keeping the majority of my body against the door, I stretched out a leg and hooked it around a table leg. I gasped when I lost some my ground with the slaver. His fingers slid inside, grasping the thick wooden edge. If I gave up any more space to him, he would be able to slip through.

Once the table was right beside me, I adjusted so that my hand would just reach the nearest bookend. I made my movements slow so that the slaver wouldn't catch onto my action. Then shifting so that my legs were stretched out in front of me and my back against the door, I moved the bookend into my right hand.

"Now, now, slave. I have a particular time restraint."

I turned my head so the side was pressed to the wooden surface. From that angle, I could see his hand. In one smooth movement, I smashed the silver tree down onto his fingers.

He shrieked and withdrew his hand, giving me the chance to push the door closed. My hands shook as they found the lock. I wanted to breath a sigh of relief as it clicked, but I knew better. One flimsy lock wouldn't keep a monster out for long.

I stepped back. There was no other way out of this room, so I would have to hold out here.

Two options were before me: barricade the door or simply wait. I didn't know how long I would need to hold out for. From the look of the Dark army, there might be a fight. And if that ended up happening, I might not be able to stay away long enough. Whether or not I pushed Seto's couch in front of the door wouldn't matter.

The slaver had stopped trying to open the door. That made me anxious. If he was no longer trying the knob, he must have been searching for another means of getting it open. So I needed to make my decision now. Wait or defend?

I sprinted to Seto's desk. The rational section of my brain knew that a couch wouldn't stop the slaver from getting in. Instead, I had to find something to defend myself with. I doubted that Seto kept a gun in his desk, but I hoped.

The first two drawers revealed nothing other than office supplies. I didn't bother closing them as I pulled open the third, growling in annoyance only to find old paperwork. There had to be something, but I was running out time.

There was a large, splitting sound as the doors in front of me flew open. The slaver stood in the middle of them, holding a fire extinguisher in his hands. But he dropped it as he stepped inside.

"Come with me now," he ordered.

I stepped to the side of the desk, keeping my hand hidden. I still held the bookend, and I now realized that it would have to serve as my weapon.

"I can't go back," I stated. I knew that I wouldn't be able to appeal to him. This creature in front of me wasn't human, so he couldn't have human emotions. No, I shouldn't expect him to sympathize with my not wanting to go back.

He moved closer to me. His steps were swift, quickly closing the distance between us. His plan was most likely to drag me back outside and to do that, he needed to get closer. I needed him to get closer too. If I was going to hit him, I had to make sure he was near enough that I wouldn't possibly be able to miss.

I let him get within a yard of me before I brought my arm back and threw it forward with all the strength I had within me. It flew forward into his chest, knocking him backwards.

I began to run once more, jumping around him and getting to the door in the fastest manner I possibly could. I made it between the entrance just before I felt a hand slam down on my back.

There was no time for me to react before I fell flat on my face. I kicked out behind me, but a hand grabbed at my legs. Growling, I tried to roll over, but the slaver dropped down onto me.

"Get off!" I shouted, still fighting against him.

"Shout all you want child, I am not letting go."

I tried to push myself up, but he was too heavy. I couldn't as much as roll over so I would be able to see the slaver holding me down. That didn't stop me from kicking back in an attempt to make contact with him, but with his hand around my ankle, there wasn't much I could do.

He stopped speaking, but just focused on keeping me still. For a while, I continued fighting against his grip. My breathing grew heavier as I came to the realization that I wasn't going to get away from him. And when I understood that fact, I stopped moving.

When he saw that I was slowing down, the slaver asked, "Now can we leave?"

My breaths were coming out too quickly to form a response, so I just nodded. He pulled me to my feet by the hair at the back of my head. He dragged me back down the hallways that I had just run down, heading back towards the roof. He took no consideration into any pain that he was causing me. Speed was all that he was thinking about. I made no complaints. There was nothing I could say to make him stop. The most that I could do was keep up to avoid any unnecessary pain.

When we stepped back onto the roof, I felt my heart fall as I found it empty. I failed to stall long enough for the dragons to return.

The slaver continued onto the edges of the building, then I started putting up some resistance. I planted my feet, ignoring the sharp pains that were shooting through my head.

"What is wrong with you?" The slaver asked as he noted my resistance.

"Can't we go through the building? There's a staircase inside," I suggested.

He stopped walking then and spun me around so I was facing him. I glanced sideways at the drop off that I was terrified of. The slaver slapped me harshly to get me to look at him.

"So you are agreeing to come, just not the fast way?"

I bit my lip before answering. "I'm afraid of heights."

He laughed. "So full of surprises. But we are going down this way."

"Please. I'll come with you. Don't take me down that way."

He pulled me closer, only stopping again when we were within inches of falling to my death. I actually found myself shifting closer to the slaver, scared of what would happen if he let go of me.

That made him laugh again.

"I will not let you fall since they want you alive. Hold onto me, and when I land on the ground, do not let your feet come into contact with it. It would be a shame for you to break them now."

I nodded and allowed him to put his arms around me. He instructed me to put my feet on top of his and to hold my arms against my chest. Closing my eyes, I buried my face down so I wouldn't have to see the world falling beside me.

And he stepped over the edge. My heart flew up into my throat as we fell, restricting my capability to breathe. Stomach turning in knots, I tried to imagine that I was anywhere else instead of dropping from the top of a building. But my hair whipping against my skin, the cold wind striking me like a hurricane, and the air rushing across my ears kept me from forgetting.

I was falling, and the slaver was the only thing preventing me from a very painful death.

I felt him hit the ground. He landed as though he had only dropped a few feet, not eighty floors. Even though I knew we were on the ground, I couldn't bring myself to pull away from the slaver. It was as if I was glued into place.

Hands began to pry me away. I tried to remember that I was safely on solid ground, but there was nothing safe about my predicament that would comfort me.

"Now was that so terrible?" The slaver asked once I no longer stood in his grasp.

I didn't answer. My body still shook from the descent and I couldn't form words while my heart still was lodged in my throat. With my mind reliving the plummet over and over, I felt as though I still was falling.

An echoing crackle caught my attention. And with the sound came the knowledge that I was now near to the dragons, to Seto. We had gone down on the opposite side of the building, so I couldn't see my brother, but I knew he was only a short distance away. How did the slaver intend on getting me out of the vicinity of KaibaCorp without notice?

With all the trouble the Dark monsters went through just to take me from the Blue-Eyes, the certainty of a escape plan being in place was incredibly high.

"Do not speak," he ordered.

I kept my mouth shut. Most of me wanted to fight him, to try to get away. But the logical section of my mind was telling me that there wasn't really any point in resisting. The slaver was stronger than me, and he had the means of keeping me with him. The only advantage I had was the determination to be with Seto again. However, I assumed that he was near equally determined to do his job correctly.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and walked me to the end of the building. Very casually, he stuck his head around the corner so he could see what was occurring over where the rest of the monsters were located. Since I couldn't see what he was looking at, I watched his face.

For a few seconds, he just stared out. His eyes never shifted, and of course he didn't blink, so I figured that he wasn't simply observing for his own amusement. He was waiting for something.

Whatever it was, he nodded. The moment he completed the subtle action, he turned down to me.

"I am going to cover your eyes now. Make no attempt to call out."

His free hand reached up and was placed over my eyes, then he started moving again.

I followed beside him, seriously considering calling out to Seto or the dragons. But the more I thought about it, the worse of an idea it became. What if the Magician still had Seto? He might hurt him when he heard my voice. Or if one of the dragons turned to see what happened and was distracted long enough for them to be attacked? The crackle I had heard earlier sounded like the white lightning I had heard from Krin when I first met him. If he was using his power, then the fight might have begun already. If that was the case, I might be making things worse.

That was why the slaver kept me from seeing what was happening on the other street. I was sure of it. By literally keeping me in the dark, it prevented me from making a rash decision. All I could do was keep up with his steps.

We hadn't gone far when he removed his hand. After glancing at my surroundings, I saw that I recognized the area just a few blocks down from KaibaCorp. I had been driven by the area many times before Domino became the setting for a horror film. There was no one else nearby, which was why it was safe for him to let me see. I had no way of calling in for outside assistance.

He kept the hand on my shoulder as we walked. I was surprised that he didn't have a chain conveniently with him, but I didn't dare voice the thought. He might have one that I was unaware of, and bringing it up might make him decide to use it. And by this point in our relationship, I understood completely how much he enjoyed using restraints.

Instead of speaking, I kept up with the locations around me. We were moving away from the areas that I knew well and into ones I had traveled in less. He mentioned the Dark headquarters, but I didn't know where that was. If I could memorize how to get there, then I could be able to escape back to KaibaCorp at some point. At least, that was my vague outline of a plan. After letting me escape once, I doubted that the slaver would be so slack the second time.

By the time that we had gone approximately two miles the slaver slowed down. The sun had nearly set, so I noticed several monsters roaming in the shadows. The majority of the monsters were around one building in particular. That was the building that we were moving towards. I could only assume that it was the location of the Dark headquarters.

"Open the door," the slaver ordered as we grew nearer.

One of the monsters did as he was told and the slaver pulled me inside. Immediately I began to choke as the stench overwhelmed my senses. I tried to hold back the coughs, as I saw where the smell was originating from, but it became more difficult as time moved forward. I was thankful when the slaver led me through a doorless opening and away from the zombies.

As I looked around, I noticed that there were no other doors. Every room was entirely public. Why would the Dark monsters choose to occupy this particular building?

He walked me into a room. As soon as I saw what the room held, I understood that when speaking to me earlier, he had been telling the truth.

There were chains bolted to the floor. Each was only a few inches long, and they seemed to be very specifically placed. When he said they wanted me chained to the floor, he actually meant exactly that.

When I started struggling, he forced me to my knees in the center of the chains. Since his hand was still on my shoulder, he used it to push me back. The hand on my shoulder moved over to circle my neck while his other hand grabbed the nearest shackle which was larger than the rest.

My own hands reached up to pull his off of me, but there was nothing I could do. Within seconds, he had chained my neck to the floor.

The band around my neck wouldn't move. He had attached a small padlock onto it to keep it in place. While I was trying to remove the band, the slaver grabbed my left wrist and pulled it to another chain level with my head. Once that arm was restrained, I stopped fighting. There was no point to it.

When he was finished, both of my arms were pinned down along with my neck, ankles, knees, and waist. My arms were bent so my hands were each a foot away from my face, and my legs spread slightly apart. None of my limbs could come into contact with any other part of my body. I was so bound that I could move no more than a few inches in any direction. I simply stared up helplessly at the man who had me kidnapped yet again.

"Wait here for the others to return. I am certain your master will want to see you upon his arrival."

I didn't answer. I had nothing more to say. All there was for me to do now was to wait for Kuriboh to show up, and then hope that he would choose to let me live.

The slaver left me to lie on the floor alone. That meaning that no one else was in the room, but others were outside. Occasionally they would stop to look inside the room, and after the first two, I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see their distorted faces. They were laughing at my situation. I couldn't look at them.

By my eyes flew open suddenly. A known presence in my area caught my attention and I turned my head to stare at the doorway. The familiar sight of Kuriboh made my blood run cold, causing me to entirely freeze. He too didn't move, just stood in the center of the doorway and stared at me.

A second form came into my view. This new addition towered over Kuriboh and held a long staff in his hands. There was only one monster I knew of that carried a staff.

"There is one thing that I hate more than anything else," the second figure said. He walked closer to me, only stopping when he stood directly above my feet. He planted the staff on the floor right next to my ankles.

"Slaves who run away irritate me. More than that, they make me so angry that it outrages me to even think on it. Now how do you imagine I feel when I hear that not only did you run away, but you attacked your owner?" He continued.

Kuriboh moved to me as the Magician spoke. He sat on my lap and stared down at me. The harsh glare terrified me more than the Magician. I just didn't know what I could do to make him understand. He knew how much I cared about Seto, but that had never been enough for him.

"After talking with your owner, we've come to an agreement. He wants revenge, and I want you to stay put."

I stopped looking at Kuriboh and looked past him at the other monster. _Revenge?_

"Did you want a hand or a foot Kuriboh?" The Magician asked.

I realized what he meant. Kuriboh growled a response, and I immediately started begging, "Kuriboh, please. I'm so sorry. Please don't do this. Please, Kuriboh-"

He lifted his hand, claw still speckled with Seto's blood. And not just Seto's, but his own, from where I had driven the knife through. He pressed the tip of the claw against the area just below my nose. After living with him for so long, I knew what he was trying to get me to do, but I continued speaking anyways.

Kuriboh, clearly annoyed at my words, pressed his claw through the skin and I felt drops of blood forming across my lips. He didn't stop there. Instead, he pushed down harder and ran a slow line down to my chin.

With my neck leashed to the floor, I couldn't pull away. He met no resistance as he slashed my lips open, effectively ending my begging. Even the slightest move of my mouth sent piercing sensations through my face.

The beast on top of me growled once more. My eyes were closed so I couldn't see the Magician's face, and that I was grateful for. I made the decision to keep my eyes closed during the remainder of my punishment. Anything that was around me was not something I wanted to be seeing. Their faces, my blood and injuries, the Dark monsters leering at me from the doorway; I knew I couldn't handle that.

"The foot is an excellent choice," the Magician said, and I felt the end of his staff being placed on my ankle, just below the cuff. "I like the ankle because that will easily prevent him from making any more attempts to escape as well as allowing him to feel your pain. Very fitting."

I knew it was coming. It wasn't as though they were trying to hide what the Magician was about to do. I took that as the reason the slaver had put me in the number of chains that he had. There was absolutely no possible way for me to get away, or even prevent the pain about to-

It was an explosion. Ignoring the minute pain on the lower portion of my face, I screamed. Yet even that didn't help as I felt the bones in my ankle crack. My mind seared in white agony as I desperately jerked at the bonds on my wrists.

I wanted to say that everything went numb, but that wasn't the case. It wouldn't end. The fire burned through my entire body, creeping into every corner of every limb. As my head rolled to the side, I squeezed my eyes shut to try to hinder the tears from pouring out, but it was too late. They had already begun to fall and mix with the blood pooling on my chin.

The Magician dug the staff harder into my already broken ankle. The action drew another cry. At least, I thought I screamed again. I couldn't tell. My ears echoed the rapid pulsing of my heartbeat, blocking out all other sounds. Between my throbbing ears and my pounding brain, my senses were shot. I wanted nothing more to fall unconscious, but I couldn't even gain that relief.

I could feel them. I could feel every individual fragment of bone that stuck out of my skin. It seemed as though each and every one was equally painful, and the pain didn't combine together. If I was capable of thinking clearly, I would have been able to count the number of pieces cutting me open. My ankle had been entirely shattered.

The weight on my chest lifted. Kuriboh slid off and curled up to rest beside me. I couldn't tell if the action was supposed to be comforting or not, but it barely registered in my mind. I was drifting away. The pain had become unbearable.

My mouth slowly fell closed as my mind faded to nothing.

* * *

_Summary: Slaver takes Mokuba to the Dark Headquarters. Mokuba is chained to the floor where the Magician breaks his ankle in an act of revenge for Kuriboh._

So, that wasn't so bad, right? That last bit was hard to write. I've never broken a bone, so I don't know what it is like. Let me know how I did, because the next chapter is going to be much, much more . . . violent, and I want to make sure I write it correctly.

Oh, and vote in my poll. Thanks!


	15. Fifteen

**Anime Freak Sammy**- I love Red. I'm trying to figure out how I can work him in some more. I think I've said this in another review response, but the Magician's character is one of my favourites. Yeah, it's random, but you can't expect all the monsters to act like Krin. And that's cool that you and Mokie are just about the exact same age! Thanks for the review!

**ZQuill-** I really enjoy your reviews. You always seem to catch onto the tiny little details that I put in chapters. It lets me know that you are really paying attention. And you like the same lines as me! "Kisara, baby!" was a favourite. Hope you like this chapter as well!

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination**- I am mean to poor Mokuba! (I'm meaner to Seto in this chapter) And technically, if you follow the time line of the story, it hasn't even been a day since Seto and Mokuba ran away. So they have nine days until the bombing. You'll have to stick around a bit longer to see if everyone "actually [goes] BOOM."

**Pk Love Omega**- Woah. You reviewed. . . a lot. What was it, like six times? Haha- thanks for reading (and boosting my review total!)

**Shinryu-Twilight Dragon**- Was it "well made"? I tried so hard. Haha- you have no idea how many times I rewrote that chapter. Red is such an interesting character. But you'll have to wait a bit longer to see more of him. And I like the description of Kisara, however, you reminded me of one of the quotes from earlier in the story. So I went back and found it for you. "Don't try anything stupid. Kisara may seem harmless, but she will do whatever it takes to keep you with her" -Kara. I just felt that for this chapter, you needed to be reminded of that. Keep reading please!

**The Prime Director**- Your reviews are so long! Then again, half of that last review was killing Kuriboh. . . And thanks for the broken bone information. I'll definitely have to use some of that here in the next few chapters, 'cause I had no idea. So your wish is for all the Dark monsters to die, or just Kuriboh in a firey death?

**Havelock Vetinari**- Kaiba being their only hope is kind of the point. Haha- I just adore Seto. (And it feels weird calling him "Kaiba") I was going to give you a more detailed response about manipulating the dragons, but then I would end up giving out spoilers. So, keep reading and you'll see how Seto handles the dragons.

**AyaseFanGirl**- Haha- I was thinking about that conversation while writing the last chapter. And you will like the slaver again, starting in this chapter. (Maybe. It might take you a while to warm up to him again) And yeah, his foot is just broken. Yuck, cutting it off would have been dreadful. Seto's POV is the one that I had written entirely, then decided it didn't flow well. So I completely rewrote it. I generally do better on the third draft in writing. And I don't like writing as Mokuba more, but I need to show the dragons while Seto isn't there. That is why his POV has been longer recently. And although this chapter isn't nearly as long as the last, Seto's POV is longer than Mokuba's here.

**Everwild**- Will there be relief/fluffy/heartwarming type stuff in this chapter? Maybe if you squint a little. Haha- just read it. You'll see what I mean. Enjoy the angst!

**Lace Kyoko**- Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you like this one too!

_Author's Note: This is the last week you can vote in this poll before I post the next one! Oh! And look at my blog for a slight spoiler for the next chapter! Also, you do all realize who the slaver is, right? If you don't know, google "Trap Master" the Yugioh card. That is exactly how I've been describing him._

_**Warning for Seto's POV- Lots of violence. If you don't like such things. . . don't read it? You've been warned!**_

* * *

**Seto**

The slap came so strong that it knocked me backwards. When I collided with the roof, I just stayed where I fell. The sky shone too blue above me. On any other day, I might have considered it beautiful. But Kara stepped into my view, blocking out the cloudless sky.

She glared down with an intensity that had my heart pounding. In my time around Kara I had yet to see her quite so angry.

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but slammed it closed tightly. I saw her jaw shaking as she tried to keep it closed. Her entire body began to tense, from her balled fists to her wrinkled nose. Kara appeared ready to snap.

But she didn't. From my position below her, I watched her lungs fill as she took a deep breath. The action calmed her down somewhat. Her fingers uncurled as she walked away. Both Krin and Kisara stood across the roof watching Kara approach them. All three dragons wore equally angry expressions, but I couldn't bring myself to look away from them. I had to know what they were going to do.

Krin and Kara began to speak in voices quiet enough that I was unable to hear their words. Kisara didn't participate in their conversation. Her eyes stayed on me, burning darkly in her anger.

After Krin and Kara finished their discussion, Krin turned to me. Fear of Krin filled me when I cracked my gaze from Kisara to look to him. But when I compared the two dragons, Kisara scared me more. Since we had been on the ground, she hadn't spoken a word. In addition, she refused to take her eyes off me for more than a few moments.

Krin bent down in front of me.

"The moment I saw you running away, I swore that you would suffer for that. In fact, I spent most of the day planning how to hurt you in the worst possible manners."

I still lied on the ground, so I couldn't really move away from him. There was no way I could hide my fear, but I didn't want to display it by trying to slide out from underneath him. But, I was terrified. Out of all of the dragons, Krin would be the most likely to act the most harshly against me. I could barely hold back from trying to get away.

He leaned in closer.

"I then considered my options and decided that I am not going to do anything to you."

My face remained motionless. Another statement would follow, one that would explain how that choice made things worse for me. Krin spent time mulling over this decision. He knew what he was doing. So I awaited his explanation.

"Nothing I do to you will be worse than what my little sister has in mind. I choose to leave you to her."

I glanced over at Kisara who still glared. I faintly noticed Krin standing up and moving back to stand with his sister as I was fixed on Kisara. Her eyes pinned me in place, although I realized that I couldn't go anywhere anyway. It wasn't simply her eyes that kept me still, but my fear of what all she would do. If Krin planned to turn me over to her, then whatever she had in mind must be horrible.

Several minutes passed before anyone moved. I, and I assumed Kara and Krin as well, waited for Kisara to take action. When she finally took the first step towards me, I actually found myself relieved that at least now something was occurring. The cliché thought rolled through my head that the sooner she started, the sooner she would be finished.

Just as Krin had, Kisara knelt down in front of me. Her lips were set in a firm line as she reached out a hand to pull me closer to her. She brought me into a regular sitting position just inches from her.

The hand that had been on my arm lifted to run through my hair. The action was far gentler than I had been expecting. Her touches were light, as if she had forgotten all her anger. Yet, I could see the fury still burning in her eyes. She was angry, but biding her time.

"If I asked you to explain, your answer would just be 'Mokuba' wouldn't it?" She asked.

I nodded.

She too nodded with understanding. Her fingers continued running through, and I winced as she unexpectedly pulled out a few strands with the motion. From the expression she wore, she didn't seem to notice what she had done.

"You tricked me, Seto Kaiba," she said. I inferred that the use of my last name was to remind me exactly what it was that she was referring to. I hadn't forgotten.

Her fingernails scraped against my scalp as she spoke, digging deeper and deeper with each passing. I still couldn't tell if she knew what she was doing. Krin's words stuck in my mind. She wanted to hurt me. Most likely, she was deliberately starting slow just to play with me. Perhaps she wanted me to believe that she had no intentions of torturing me.

"I had done nothing to harm you, and you repay that by escaping?" Her pitch rose as the sentence progressed. "You couldn't just escape though, could you? Of course not, you had to kiss me. You wanted me to believe that you cared about me to let my guard down. And I fell for it."

Her hand wrapped around the back of my head and pulled me even nearer to her face. All I did was look at her. There was no point in further patronizing the dragon by trying to talk her out of believing that I had done what she claimed. She had all the facts straight. She knew exactly what I had done. I would gain nothing by attempting a lie.

"I won't be so foolish again. My beautiful Seto," she said as she pushed all the hair away from my face, "you will never leave me. I will do what it takes to keep you with me forever. And if I have to beat that idea into you, so be it."

_Forever. _Yes, I heard the beating portion of her statement, but that didn't register as strongly as the concept of living out the rest of my life as a dragon's plaything. I could handle pain; it was nothing more than a momentary feeling. Pain would eventually fade away. But life with Kisara? That had me more nervous than anything else she had said.

My heart beat quickly sped up. Even though my facial expression remained the same, I had no control over the reaction inside my chest. And as Kisara's free hand fell against my chest, I knew that she could tell how truly afraid I was of her.

She smiled. The hand that had been in my hair slid around to my face. She hadn't liked the scratch when we first met, but she seemed to enjoy it now. One of her fingers started out by tracing it, then moved to dig down inside the previously closed cut.

I bit down on my tongue to keep from reacting. That was what she was searching for, I was certain of it. She wanted me to show pain. I had hurt her, and now she wanted to hurt me in a similar manner.

That was when I made myself the promise to just take whatever she could think to deal me. She wouldn't stop until she thought that I had been punished fairly, so nothing I could say or do would change her mind. Krin and Kara would most likely enjoy nothing more than to see me grovel for mercy. I wasn't the type to do so. I would sooner let Kisara kill me than to beg her to stop beating me.

She didn't stop her attack on my cheek until the cut had been entirely reopened and deepened. Even though the cut wasn't the worst of my problems, I still had to wonder if it would ever receive the chance to heal properly. I was beginning to think that it would be a permanent fixture on my face.

"Remember Seto, I tried to just show you love," Kisara whispered, not speaking loud enough for her siblings to overhear.

She placed her hand over my face and shoved me backwards. With my hands still chained in front of me, I had no way of catching myself to break the fall. So my back collided with the hard surface that was the roof. All I managed to do was lift my head up slightly so the impact didn't knock me unconscious.

Kisara stood above me, staring down blankly. She no longer appeared angry. Now, she simply appeared unconcerned with her surroundings.

None of the dragons wore shoes. That was a fact that I had noticed within minutes of meeting them. When they changed into their human form, all of the dragons were clothed. While their clothing was far from elaborate, it was still there. Shoes however, was one thing the dragons never wore.

When Kisara's bare foot kicked at my side, I hadn't expected it to hurt quite as badly. But it hurt. Shoe or not, Kisara's kick easily bruised my side. I didn't have to look at the skin to know that it instantly began to purple. Trying not to respond to the kick caused me to bite through my tongue. Upon doing so, I realized that I might be better off not trying to hold back any reactions. I had just created an injury out of my own act. Such a thing should not happen.

So when Kisara's second kick hit, I allowed myself to let out a heavy breath. Her foot had come into contact with the same place as before, making it hurt far worse the second time around.

The third time knocked the air completely out of my lungs. I pulled my legs nearer to my chest unconsciously.

The fourth time, I heard a crack. It worried me that I didn't feel my rib break immediately. Whether it was adrenaline or the already present pain, I didn't know, but it seem unnatural only hearing a bone break.

Kisara heard it as well. I glanced up at her when it happened and saw her eyes briefly widen. She probably hadn't meant to seriously injure me when this began. At least, probably not to the breaking of bones.

I let my head fall to the side to get a look at the other dragons. They had both taken a seat near the edge of the roof and were watching intently. Neither seemed excited or bored. They only observed with straight expressions. I had previously assumed that they would be thrilled to watch my torment. They actually seemed more upset.

Kisara got to her hands and knees beside me. I still was trying to recover from what I believed to be a broken rib so I didn't immediately look at her. She reached out a hand and grabbed at my face to force me to stare at her. In a swift movement, she pulled me up to her and pressed her lips against mine harshly. When she fought for access inside, I allowed her to maneuver between my teeth which had been gritted together. She used her teeth to grab hold of my bottom lip.

Seconds later, she pushed me away from her, taking a piece of my lip with her. Without waiting a moment more, she slapped me across the cut side of my face. In reaction, I let my head fall. My hands grabbed at my chest, covering the rib I thought was broken. The pain was now really beginning to set in.

Kisara slapped the same place again. My head jerked to the side and I ended up biting down on the inside of my cheek. I took a deep breath to try to combat the pain. I could handle it. It wouldn't last much longer.

"Apologize to me, Seto Kaiba."

_For trying to help Mokuba? _I would never do such a thing. No matter how much she hit me, I wouldn't apologize for doing what I knew was the right course of action. My brother was everything. Even knowing how she would react to my escape, I would repeat the escape thousands of times over.

I brought my line of sight to the dragon abusing me. Wiping every trace of pain off my face, I stared her in the eyes and said, "Hit me all you want. I'm not sorry."

She raised an eyebrow and turned to her siblings. Krin appeared mildly irritated, but Kara was smirking.

Kisara placed her hand on my shoulder before softly sliding her fingers down the length of my arm. I barely felt it underneath the material of my coat. However, just knowing that something else was coming sent a series of chills through my body. She had another idea in mind.

"Darling, I don't want to keep hurting you. One more chance," she offered.

"Wouldn't you just be able to tell that I was lying?" I spat, receiving another slap for the tone. This time, I didn't let my head fall, but held it up.

Kisara grabbed a fistful of the front of my shirt and threw me forward and I just barely reacted in time to catch myself. But Kisara didn't just let me push myself back up. She pulled my hands out in front of me, sending my face falling. When my chin hit the roof, my teeth slammed together hard enough that some of them had to have chipped.

Kisara stepped on the chain connecting my wrists. Then very slowly, she moved her foot to the space between both arms.

"Let's go over here," she said, then slid her foot underneath the chain and began walking. The end result had me trying to crawl to keep up while being half dragged across the roof as she stood each step. Even with the clothes covering my elbows and knees, I wasn't protected from the friction. It burned through my clothing, almost instantly tearing large holes out of the material and revealing my skin below. Soon, the skin there also began to tear.

Kisara took a larger step than she had been taking and I could no longer support myself. I fell and my face scraped against the rough surface of the roof. Although I tried, I couldn't push back up to where my face was safe, so I had to let it be dragged until Kisara came to a stop.

She took hold of my hair and pulled me up. Her face showed horror when she got a look at the damage that had just been done to mine, but she quickly brushed it off. She used her grip at the back of my head to direct my gaze at Krin.

"What do you think, brother? Can any of us make him apologize?"

Krin cocked his head very slightly. His electric eyes stared through me, examining me.

"No. Not if he doesn't believe that he needs to. Our slave is very stubborn."

Kisara twisted me around so she could look at me. "Love, if you aren't going to cooperate, then there is no point in keeping you."

My mind worked through her possible meanings. Kisara would never let me go. She sooner would kill me. So was that what she meant? She planned on killing me if I refused to submit to her? How could she mean that when she proclaimed her love for me daily?

I glanced back to Krin, to see if he would go along with her statement. This wasn't just Kisara's decision. According to the monster's rules, I belonged to all three of them. She couldn't make the decision for all of them, right? But Krin shrugged.

"You would kill me for refusing to apologize?" I asked, now looking back at Kisara.

"Of course I would. You underestimate me, Seto dear."

I closed my mouth, which I hadn't realized I left hanging open. If I was dead, then I couldn't help Mokuba. My entire existence was devoted to the care of my only family member. If I was dead, then what? How would he ever get out of this chaos? I swore to him that I would always be there for him. I couldn't die.

"Then I'm sorry," I whispered, diverting my eyes so that I didn't look at any of the dragons.

Kisara leaned down so I could see her. She smiled sweetly at me while bringing my head back up. She bent forward and kissed my nose. Her kiss was brief, yet Kisara didn't stop there. Without lifting her lips, she ran her mouth down to my own. Once more, I allowed her to do as she willed. If she wanted to kiss me in exchange for my life, I could let her.

She slipped her tongue out of my mouth and began to run it along the line of my jaw. I squeezed my eyes together waiting for her display to finish. At the same time, I worked to control the shivers that tried to take hold of me. All I could think to do was remind myself that everything was for Mokuba. I allowed this to happen for him.

Kisara pulled back just enough that I could see her. When our eyes met, her smile dropped.

"Not good enough."

She threw me straight to the ground. The impact brought a groan out of me which I quickly bit back. Instead of getting back up, I remained still, bowed over her feet.

"Prove to me that you are sorry. Beg. Beg me for your life."

She expected me to beg? The insincere apology was difficult enough, but begging was not in my nature. I had been trained with a ruthless hand to never so much as ask for help. How could I turn entirely from my nature to beg this dragon to spare my life? I never attempted to hide the fact that I was a proud person. My pride was a large part of who I was. Surrendering my pride might break me to the point where I could never return to my true self.

What would happen to Mokuba if I didn't continue living? He needed me. If I died, then he would be alone in the world. There would be no place for him to run to, that is, even if he could escape yet again. When he found out that I had been killed, what would he do? I couldn't even imagine what the rest of his life would be like. As arrogant as that sounded, I knew that Mokuba depended on me, just as I depended on him. What did I have to live for without him?

Would Mokuba even be allowed to live for what he did? Kisara had just beat me for not apologizing to her. I wasn't even able to imagine Mokuba getting off easily for attacking Kuriboh. I tried to picture what Mokuba currently was going through, and the images actually scared me. They might kill him. As I debated my options at Kisara's feet, my little brother might already be dead.

"Do it," I said. My words were so faint that I barely heard them. They came out without my even realizing I was speaking them.

"What?" Kisara asked.

Instead of taking it back, I repeated my words, only louder. "Do it. Kill me. I won't beg you." I pushed myself up to my knees to make eye contact with her as I spoke.

"You want me to kill you?" She asked. Her confusion was apparent.

"No. But I will not beg you to forgive me for doing nothing wrong."

"You ran away. You broke a rule," Kisara said angrily.

"Kisara, as much as you all want to believe that you own me, you don't. And killing me is the only way you can keep me from doing what it takes to get to my brother."

"Are you willing to die for him?" She shouted.

"If I can't be with Mokuba, then I shouldn't _be. _Just imagine what they are doing to him right now."

Kisara still stared at me in shock. "It can't be that bad."

"Kisara, you love me, and look at what you did to me."

And she looked. First her eyes traveled across the torn surface that had previously covered my face. Enough blood flowed from the cut to cause concern, but in addition to that were the scrapes from being dragged across the roof. Similar marks decorated my elbows and knees. More importantly were the red hands and what they clung to at my side.

"Oh, Seto," she gasped, but couldn't finish whatever she was going to say. She dropped down so she was level with me and put her thumb beneath my eye to wipe away a tear I hadn't noticed fall. She kept shaking her head and mumbling under her breath. Without warning, she covered her face and began to sob.

I looked awkwardly towards Krin and Kara, whose eyes had grown to several times their normal size. None of us quite knew how to respond to this sudden breakdown from the dragon. Personally, I was just glad that she was no longer threatening me or hurting me, but she was clearly unstable. I had no idea what she would do next.

She threw her arms around my neck. I winced sharply as she tightly hugged me. The embrace forced my chained arms to press down on my ribs.

"I'm sorry, darling! I shouldn't have done that to you. But I was so mad and upset, and I didn't know what else to do! You just left and I missed you!"

"Kisara, I had to do that. You have to understand that Mokuba comes first in my world. He always will."

She pressed her lips together and nodded while wiping away her tears. "I don't want you to be unhappy with me. So, if get Mokuba for you, will you stay with me?"

"Kisara, you can't-" Krin started.

"Stop!" She exclaimed, cutting Krin off mid-sentence. "Seto, will you stay with me if I give you Mokuba?"

Aside from the fact that she considered Mokuba an item to be given, it was actually a tempting offer. If she let me stay with Mokuba, then at least I would know he was safe. I would be giving up any chance at freedom, but in a world such as this, was there really any freedom? What would I actually be losing?

"If Mokuba stays with me, and he is safe, then yes," I answered slowly.

Kisara smiled brightly, but added, "Swear it."

"I swear."

She shook her head. "Do it right. I don't want you finding a way out of this. We are making a very serious deal here."

I rolled my eyes, but did as she asked. "I swear that as long as Mokuba is with me _and safe, _then I won't run away again."

Krin moved up from his seat next to Kara and knelt down beside Kisara so he too was facing me. "Swear it on Mokuba's life."

"What?"

"Swear that if you run away again, then we have the right to kill your brother," he said.

"I'm not going to swear on his life."

"Then there is no deal," Krin stated. "But as long as you hold up your end of this arrangement, he will be fine."

I would never do anything that might risk Mokuba's life. How could I agree to such an outrageous demand as that? Krin had managed to find the one thing that would actually make me keep my word. I would never put my brother's life in jeopardy by breaking a promise. If I agreed, then I would be entirely trapped in the agreement.

"You already swore that you wouldn't leave, Seto. Is this so much harder?" Kisara asked.

I knew that the two deals had me doing the exact same thing. However, just knowing that breaking my word would result in their killing Mokuba made me wary. It prevented me from ever changing my mind. There would be no backing out.

"It's his life, Kisara."

"Then don't run away and it won't be a problem. Besides, it isn't like we'd make it easy for you to leave even if you agree," Kisara said.

"Can't you just accept my word that I won't leave?" I asked, searching for a way out of their deal.

"No," Krin said simply.

There was only one way to make sure Mokuba stayed with me. By doing so, I would be ensuring his invisible chains as well. Kisara wouldn't let him leave if it meant keeping me with her. He would have no say in his future freedom. But he would be safe.

"Okay. I swear."

"Continue," Kisara pressed.

"I swear on my brother's life that I will not run away under the condition that he is with me and kept safe," I said with my eyes closed in shame.

Kisara clutched her hands together happily. Krin smirked and walked back to sit next to Kara, who seemed to be in a good mood. I didn't share her mindset.

Kisara got to her feet and formed each hand into a fist determinedly. "Seto, I will get your brother for you." She paused and looked me over quickly. "And maybe find a healer as well."

* * *

**Mokuba – The following day**

Waking up felt like dying. The pain that engulfed the entirety of my body made me want to be dead. I couldn't so much as twitch a finger without feeling that shoot through my leg. And even though I did my best to remain motionless, Kuriboh refused to stay still. He rolled and snuggled against me every few minutes.

When I first woke up, I tried to ask him to stop. However, because he had cut my lips open, they had healed together while I slept. I considered breaking the scab open, but then I'd just have to suffer through it rehealing. So I didn't say anything.

Kuriboh shifted again. I gritted my teeth together, as if that would block out the pain. Of course, it didn't help.

I was worried about my foot healing properly. The last time I broke a bone Seto had taken it very seriously. He rushed me to the hospital and flew in a specialist. That was just for a fractured finger. My current injury was far worse and I knew that I would receive no treatment for it. What if I ended up unable to walk?

That was the point. I wasn't supposed to be running away. Now I had absolutely no possible means of escape. Even if I didn't have chains on every limb, I still would have no chance.

In all the previous times I had been kidnapped, the feeling of complete hopelessness never really set in. I always maintained the hope that even if I couldn't break out, then Seto would come for me.

No one was coming for me this time. I couldn't escape.

But I pushed that thought aside. Someone would help me. The help may not be coming from Seto, but I wouldn't be here forever. They would make a mistake and I could use that opportunity to break out. Lying here would not be the rest of my life.

I looked to Kuriboh who remained at my side. How had he managed to win? Although I based my knowledge of these creatures off a card game, Kuriboh still seemed to be considered just as pathetic as his cardboard counterpart. He shouldn't have any standing.

For a while, I debating telling him about the bombing. After all, who was I to determine who lived and died? I hated the beasts, all of them. But I wanted no part in their deaths either. By telling Kuriboh, I might even be saving the innocent lives of the people kidnapped by the Dark monsters. That all relied on Kuriboh being of a high enough standing to be believed. The Magician helping him might have only been to take from the Blue-Eyes.

"Finally awake!"

I chose not to look at the slaver standing in the doorway. I had never hated anyone more in my life and I didn't want to acknowledge his presence.

"So child, how is the ankle?" He asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him come closer. I stared straight up at the roof while trying to keep a level expression.

"And he ignores me again."

The slaver stopped walking when he stood over me. Then quickly, he kicked out at my ankle.

I sucked in a large breath to keep from crying out. I wouldn't give him that. But it hurt so badly that I couldn't keep the tears from welling up.

"Do I have your attention now, boy?"

In order to keep him from repeating the action, I rolled my head as far to the side as I could manage. It wasn't very far due to the chain holding my neck in place. While looking at him, I put as much hate into my gaze as I could. With the pain that was coursing through me, I doubted that my intensity was where I wanted it to be.

"Hello, how did you sleep?" He questioned politely.

My mouth was still sealed together. Answering him didn't seem worth breaking the scab. And since he still had my attention, I didn't think he would kick me again.

"So not very well?" He glanced at Kuriboh. "You are required in the conference room."

Before he left, Kuriboh lifted his head to look at me. I tilted my chin in the opposite direction. He would soon understand that my forced relationship with him had changed. I had no intention of putting up with his antics any longer. I wouldn't speak to him, cooperate with him, or even glance in his general direction.

He got up and flew out of the room, leaving me alone with the slaver.

"Are you enjoying your accommodations?" The slaver asked. Although I met his eyes, I made a point of ignoring his question. Mostly because I didn't want to have anything to do with him, but also because of my lips being healed together.

He smiled. "I will not leave until we have had a conversation."

Taking a deep breath, I came to the realization that I would have to answer him. My hopes of keeping my mouth closed to heal were dashed right then. It wasn't that I thought breaking the scab would hurt. One small cut in comparison to the bonfire on my lower half seemed almost pointless to compare. I simply didn't want to continually be fighting for time for my mouth to heal completely. Now, however, I had no say, so moving very slowly, I started gently cracking the scab. My hopes were that by doing it slowly, I would prevent any unnecessary damage.

When my lips were finally separate, I said, "Are you trying to gloat? If so, bug off." My voice was quiet since I didn't want to move my mouth, and I felt that it was missing my usual note of sarcasm.

His smile remained. "I have no intention of gloating, child. I am here to talk, nothing more."

He sat down Indian-style beside me, getting close enough that I put no strain on my neck. As considerate as that was, "I'm not really in the mood for a casual chat."

"Do you have something better to do?" He asked.

"I do, in fact. It's called, 'try to fall unconscious again.'"

"How is it that you still bite, even after being broken?" The slaver abruptly questioned as he propped his head up on his palm.

"Because I'm not broken," I paused after feeling the pain in my ankle double in intensity. "Well, not mentally."

The slaver's grin grew larger. "I have seen people in better situations than you give up all hope. So why have you not?"

I would have shrugged if I wasn't chained down. Instead, I actually had to answer. "If I give up hope, then I'm resigning myself to being stuck here for the rest of my life. So I'm hopeful that one day you and Kuriboh will be a far-off memory."

"You cannot believe that you are actually going to escape?" He said, making a broad gesture to the chains covering my body.

"I did it before," I answered smugly.

We both entered into a state of quietness. I saw his thoughts racing behind the eyes that continually stared at me. His smiled remained steady, which made the stare incredibly disturbing. After just moments of the silence, I found that I much preferred his questions to his uncomfortable hush. At least then I could hear his thoughts and not only see them.

"I usually can read humans easily," he began. "But you confound me. I never can tell what you will do or say. You are so interesting."

And he stopped there. I waited to see if he would go on, but he didn't. The slaver looked own expectantly.

"I'm glad I amuse you?" I said.

"That is exactly what I am speaking about! It is as though you do not even realize that I am the one who chained you here. I have the ability to make your life miserable," he said as if his words should scare me.

"Then it is my job to return the favor in the only way I can."

He threw his hands into the air. "Fascinating!" He stopped for a moment to fix his tall red hat. "That pathetic excuse for a monster should not be allowed to have you."

I didn't answer with one of my "interesting" responses. From what I knew of his job, he ensured humans remained with the monster that chose them. It wasn't up to him to judge the validity of the pairs. He was called the slaver. He was known for trading people, not for his interest in their personalities. According to what I knew about him, he shouldn't have said that.

"Come live with me," he said.

I blinked; he didn't. "Excuse me?"

"I want you to come be my slave."

That got a small laugh out of me. I immediately regretted it as it shook my body and hit my ankle against the chain holding it. But the little chuckles continued to come. "Why ever would I do that?"

"You would not be kept in this situation," he offered.

"Even so, I think I'll stick this out."

"Your brother is currently with the Blue-Eyes, is he not?" The slaver said.

He knew Seto? I remembered the Blue-Eyes sending him after my brother, but I hadn't known that he knew we were related. But why was Seto important?

". . . yes?" I answered hesitantly.

"If I get your brother for you, will you come with me?" He pressed.

He was serious?

"You would kidnap Seto to get me to be your slave?" I asked, thinking that he had to be joking. It was his job to keep me here with Kuriboh. What could possibly be so special about me that he would be willing to risk countering the Magician and the Blue-Eyes?

"Yes," he stated simply.

The slaver wanted me to live with him. He wanted that badly enough that he was even willing to go as far as to steal Seto away from the three scariest creatures I had seen. He would take that risk for me. What had I done to merit his unfortunate attention?

But if I could stay with Seto, that might make it worthwhile. I had been willing to stay with the Blue-Eyes and Seto had lived with Kuriboh and me. What would the difference be if we switched locations to stay with the slaver?

"I won't be much of a slave," I said, referring to my inability to walk.

"That will not be an issue. Your brother can do the work. I want you for entertainment purposes."

It wasn't fair to Seto to make a decision regarding him without his approval. I had no way of asking Seto what his views were, but that didn't change the fact that I worried over speaking for him.

But when it came down to it, I wanted to be with Seto.

"Okay," I said. "If you get Seto, then I agree to come with you."

He got back up to his feet and stared down at me. "Wonderful! I will make the arrangements. Until then, stay there. I will get your brother for you, then be back."

Then he spun around and left the room, pausing just briefly to whisper, "See you soon."

* * *

There you have it! Check out my blog for notes on this chapter and information about Chapter Sixteen!

Reviews would be fantastic!


	16. Sixteen

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOKUBA!**

**Lace Kyoko- **Upset about his teeth? Haha- I guess I see where you are coming from. I don't want my characters to have ugly teeth. And I hope you like the chapter!

**Havelock Vetinari- **Thanks! I wouldn't have considered this "believable," you know, with monsters and all, but I get what you mean.

**Pk Love Omega- **Kisara is a freak. So that is understandable. Thanks for the review!

**TheUn-POP-ableBubble- **How I hate typing your username. I love the Slaver/Mokuba interactions too. Now, that clash that you were looking forward to Kisara and the Trap Master's face off. Well . . . It will come. . . And Hey! You commented on my blog and I was lame and forgot to respond. . . (Expect a message)

**ZQuill- **I figured that Seto would be most upset about the possibility of never being able to escape. Stalker, bipolar, unpredictable. . . all good descriptions. So, yeah, I talk about the scratch a lot. I mention it one more time in this chapter – but you may like what I say about it. You guessed that the Slaver would have a hard time, just know, it won't be as easy as it may seem. (That's me trying not to give out spoilers)

**AyaseFanGirl- **I did think about whether or not that would break the deal. But the terms are very specific. As long is Mokuba is there, with Seto and safe, then Seto can't leave. No Mokuba, no deal.

**Ardikani4- **Yup! That's exactly what is going on. And then I hope you like this chapter, because I certainly rewrote it a lot.

_Author's Note: There is a new poll on my profile! Take the time to vote!_

* * *

**Slaver**

I moved quietly down the street. A green flash caught my eye, but it was no human. A fairy perhaps? The sun still hung above the earth letting me know that the Dark species and their allies were not the figures I saw around every turn. None of the forms had been human today. It mattered little. My slaving centers were overflowing with the creatures. I needed no more humans at the present.

Thinking of the humans reminded me that soon, I would own two. It had been quite some time since I had any in my possession. The last several slaves had not been satisfactory and had to be done away with. After the failures, I had all but given up on finding more permanent workers. The two boys would be an excellent investment. Any extra effort it would take to acquire them was well worth the end result.

The dragon's home stood tall above my head. The light from the Sun glinted off the windows, eliminating any possible shadows that might dare to form. No one lingered around the base for fear of the dragons living above. I was well aware of the few smaller ones who chose to occupy the interior of the building. Yet they were small enough to never be considered a threat.

I tilted my ear towards the sky to try to hear sounds from the roof. After their slave's poor attempt at escape, I knew that at least one of the dragons would be with the boy. It was my hope that there would only be one with whom I would have to deal. The fewer dragons, the simpler it would be to steal the boy. My plan could work with all three, but it was not preferable.

Irritating noises filled my ears. Birds that had yet to be plucked from the sky and with them the flapping of wings. Footsteps skittered across the ground which were faint as they were far off. The wind that rushed down the side of the building, carrying along with it the sounds from the roof. The voices were muffled. Yet, even though I could not distinguish between words, three distinctive tones were apparent: two male, one female.

I smirked. If the boy was speaking, then he had not been too severely injured. He might still be in working condition. I needed the older to be able to follow commands, as my child was only required for his clever tongue. If any work was to be done in my home, then he would hat least have to be capable of walking.

Placing a hand atop my hat, I jumped. The windows soared by, or rather, I by them. I smiled at my fast moving reflection.

The scene on the roof came to me as great amusement. The boy sat with his legs stretched before him. He winced in pain as Kisara held his bare back against her body. Deep purple splotches spread out from his side. The boy's hair stuck to his face, coated in the blood that had come from the many cuts and scratches on his face.

"Stop moving!" Kisara shouted as she wrapped her arms tighter around her companion.

"If you would stop pressing on my ribs, then I could be still!" He answered.

Griggle sat next to the pair, trying to get his paw on the boy's chest. The little healer was a cousin of mine, so I knew what little patience he had dealing with human children.

"Kisara, let Griggle work with the slave," Krin stated as he noticed my arrival. The leader of the local Light species approached me.

A part of me believed that the boy told the dragons that I had been behind taking him to the Dark species. But once I saw the physical condition the boy was in, my suspicion had been confirmed. He would not have brought that up overnight. The injuries he had sustained provided the distraction I needed.

"Slaver, as you can see, we have our boy back. Your services are no longer necessary," Krin stated.

At that time, a groan slipped from the boy's mouth and Krin flinched. _Interesting_. Although Krin quickly regained his typical, stern expression, he had let it fall long enough. I saw what he had been trying to hide. He cared about his slave. The weak human had gotten to him.

"So I heard." I paused to look over at the boy again, nearly laughing at his struggle to pull out of Kisara's hold. I redirected to Krin once I was certain that my next words were truthful. "However, I must speak with the child about certain events that transpired yesterday."

"He is busy," Krin stated. His near-white eyes sized me up, searching for deception. The dragons all had the ability to read lies, but their power did not apply to half-truths. As long as I spoke only the truthful portions of my real plan, Krin would never be able to tell.

"I have the time," I answered.

Krin's annoyance was plastered across his features, "Very well."

I smiled at him and walked over to sit in front of the others on the roof. Krin sat beside me.

Griggle still attempted to heal the broken rib, but Kisara refused to pull her hands back. The boy tried to push hands out of the way so my cousin could work, but Kisara was determined.

"You're hurting him!" She exclaimed.

"Kisara," the slave gasped out. "It has to hurt. He is repositioning my bones that _you _broke."

"He is supposed to be making you better!"

"If you would let go, I would be better by now," the boy said and again pulled at the slender hands around his body. Kisara's hands stayed where they were.

Griggle grunted impatiently. I too grew agitated at the delay. I needed to get moving, but having the boy healed would be very helpful. He would be much easier to transport if I did not have to carry him.

The boy leaned his head back to where their eyes met. He lifted a hand and placed it on top of Kisara's arm. "Please Kisara. The longer you prevent him from healing me, the longer I'm in pain. Please let go for just a few minutes."

Next to me, Krin rolled his eyes. I understood his irritation. The boy had obviously learned exactly how to play Kisara. His soft words were being forced out through clenched teeth. To Kisara, he probably just appeared to be hurting. To observers, he was faking. The hand on Kisara's arm moved up to her cheek and he slid his fingers slowly across it.

When her hands dropped from their grip, I turned to her brother. "Where is Kara?"

"She is making arrangements for us to leave the city," Krin said, still watching his slave and sister interact.

"You are leaving the city?" I questioned with mock ignorance. He should have no idea that I was partially behind the plan to force them out.

"Yes. Certain matters have come to our attention and require our leave," Krin explained.

His expression shifted, but not in a way I expected. He had been tricked, thus anger or annoyance should have appeared within his features. Yet I saw nothing of the sort. The faintest traces of a smile creeped onto his lips. Amusement should be the last emotion displayed in his situation.

While I tried to decide what it was on his mind, Griggle had gotten around to healing the boy. He began with the boy's chest, and I watched the purple bruise shrink until only his pale skin remained.

Although he was being healed, the boy still gritted his teeth together in pain. I would imagine the process to be painful. The bones that had been broken were shifting back to their regular location. The movement would be just as painful as the bone breaking originally.

"Oh, just stop it!" Kisara shouted as she went back to pulling her companion away from the healer.

"Kisara, let go!" The boy shouted. I blamed his outburst on the painful haze that must have filled his head.

"He isn't making you better!" She demanded.

"He was, until you stopped him!"

"But-"

"Kisara!" Krin shouted.

Both Kisara and the slave turned at Krin's voice. It was the first time the boy really seemed to note my arrival. Confusion shone on his features. He knew what I had done. He must have been wondering what could be important enough to provoke my return.

Yet he raised no questions. What could he say? I knew where his brother was. If he mentioned what I had done to the dragons, then he might lose the only chance he had of finding him.

"Just let him work," Krin said.

Kisara scooted away from the boy. Though she did not move far, the space between the two allowed Griggle the room he needed.

The boy stopped the questioning glare towards me so that Griggle could work on his face.

"Is talking to Seto really so important?" Krin asked.

"It is. Certain events yesterday do not quite add up. He may have information concerning what truly occurred," I answered smoothly.

"That is why you are here?" Kisara asked, finally listening to our conversation.

"How is that your job?" Krin asked.

"I am making it my job. The kidnapping of other's slaves falls into my hands," I said with a smile. He would not understand what I really meant by the statement.

A sharp inhale drew my attention. The boy's eyes were closed and his mouth hung slightly open. As he exhaled, the open wounds covering his skin healed. Even the familiar cut across his cheek closed, vanishing instantly.

He could not hide the relieved expression as his fingers traced over the flawless skin. He tilted his head into a nod directed at Griggle. The boy could show gratitude.

"Seto! You are beautiful!" Kisara shouted as she once more threw her arms around his neck. The force of her pouncing on him knocked the boy backwards.

"Oh please, re-injure him," Krin muttered.

I got to my feet. "Now would you grant me a moment with the boy?"

Kisara pouted. "Why is that even important?"

"It will only be a few minutes."

The boy leaned up, gently edging out of Kisara's hold. It took several assuring words and smiles to calm her down enough that he could slide away. Once he finally was clear of her, the boy got to his feet.

I moved over to stand next to him. He wanted to say something, but his curiosity took over. He had to know.

"Come with me," I ordered. When the slave did not respond immediately, I grabbed onto his neck and dragged him across the roof so that we had some manner of privacy.

"Where is he?" The boy asked. His voice was quiet and he turned his head at an angle so that the dragons could not see his face.

"Chained to the floor with Kuriboh. I have a request for you."

"A request?" He asked, shaking his head in shock over my first comment.

"More of an order actually. I am simply informing you that you will be coming with me."

"What more could you want from me?" He questioned.

"It is not what I want from you, but what I want from your brother."

The boy frowned. "And what do you want from Mokuba?" He asked quietly. His chest stopped rising and falling while he awaited my answer.

"I want him."

I must have raised my voice slightly, as he turned back to glance at the dragons. Neither had been paying attention to our conversation. Kisara had pinned Griggle against her, hugging him tightly. Krin shook his head while he watched.

"Then why are you here?"

"I made a deal with your brother. To get him, I have to bring you along as well. Ready to be my slave, boy?"

He did not say anything. His lips parted, but no words came out. I watched as his eyes looked anywhere by my direction.

"Have you finished?" Krin called out. Without waiting for an answer, he came to stand next to his slave. The boy had yet to so much as note Krin's presence.

"I will soon have everything I need," I said with a bright smile. Stepping away, I adjusted my hat. Four seconds and I would be ready for the next step.

"Now I shall be going. I have to meet up with the Magician and his troops to discuss housing his slave while they are all marching. I am now late to my job as a glorified babysitter," I said casually.

"While they march?" Krin asked.

I played it off with the wave of a hand. "Yes. They have been mobilizing all morning."

Kisara dropped Griggle. I claimed her complete attention with my words. Of course, they should both be able to tell that something was wrong. Technically, the Dark troops had not mobilized, yet. That was the next step of my plan. If all played out perfectly, then my words were truth. Because of that, they would not be able to truly distinguish between truth and lie.

"Where?" Krin asked. Strange, I had assumed the first question would have been "Why?"

"At the square across town. It is the only location large enough to hold them all."

I turned around to send Krin a straight stare. Since I was of a neutral race, I should not be helping either the Light or the Dark. But since I mentioned my next stop in passing, it would not seem as if I was giving privileged information away. Now all I would have to do was pretend to let Krin force the facts out of me.

"They are moving out during the day?" Krin pressed. Of course that would bother him since the Dark was not supposed to be out during the day. If they were mobilizing now, it would mean something big.

"Yes, and I really should be going. I do not have much longer to delay," I said as I walked towards the edge of the roof. I had peaked their curiosity.

"Wait for a moment," Krin said. He left his slave to stand with his sister. They spoke to each other in hushed voices, standing very close to each other so that their words would be impossible to make out.

While they spoke, I looked back over to the boy. His mouth still hung open, but he stared at me. The thoughts in his head read across his face. He could tell what I was doing, however, he chose not to say anything about it. He wanted to see his brother. He would play along.

"We have to go see what they are doing," Krin said, turning away from Kisara.

"We can't leave Seto," Kisara insisted.

I did not volunteer to stay. In order for everything to come across perfectly, they needed to ask me. Time was an important factor. Not only did I need them to leave quickly, I also needed them to stay gone as long as possible. If they got suspicious, that risked their returning too quickly. The longer they took, the more of a head start I would have.

"Could you stay with Seto?" Krin asked.

I shook my head. "As I said, I must go to the Magician to deal with his slave. I am afraid I do not have the time for yours as well." Then I continued to walk away.

"So you would rather help the Dark than us?" Krin questioned.

I paused, as if that was a difficult decision. If I let him believe that he caught me off guard, this might go even better than I had originally planned.

"Of course not. I simply already had arrangements set in place."

"Then stay here. We won't be out that long," Krin said.

"Very well," I said with a defeated tone. I could not help looking over at the boy. He smirked as his head shook slowly. He obviously was impressed that I had tricked his previous owners so easily. He was right on that account.

"Then I can go get Mokuba while we are out!" Kisara exclaimed.

I froze. That was something that I did not consider when making my plan. Why would she need to get Mokuba? Unless she had made the same plan with her companion. Then it could be a race. Winning would simply take a slight adjustment to my original plan.

I did not look in the direction of the slave. He might be giving away parts of my plot just by the look in his eye. I would not let him risk my accomplishment.

Krin and Kisara both transformed into their true forms simultaneously. I tilted my head away so that the light would have a lesser effect on my eyes. Out of all those I knew, the dragons certainly made the biggest show out of shifting shapes.

Kisara brought her head down to the boy's face and nuzzled her much larger head against his own. The boy held his hands up defensively to try to push her away. It surprised me that he managed to play Kisara so easily. It was clear that he had no interest in the dragon; he only humored her to remain living.

When the dragons were out of view, I glanced to the slave. "Now we go."

He gestured to Griggle. In return, I smiled down at my cousin. "He will not say a word to them. After all, they are unable to speak his language. Even if he wished to tell them, a translator would be necessary."

I extended a hand, as he would have to hold onto me for the jump to the ground. However, he searched around for something before coming to me. He only stopped when he found his discarded clothing. He quickly pulled on his shirt and coat while I tapped my foot impatiently.

Once he was dressed, he walked over to me slowly. I could see the hesitation in his eyes when he came close enough for me to grab. I smiled at him, but it was not a smile of reassurance. It was a victory smile.

He took my hand and allowed me to lead him to the edge of the roof. I then gave him the same instructions that I had given to his brother. "Do not let your feet touch the ground. It might help if you stand on top of my own. Stay close and do your best not to move around."

The boy did as he was told. He snarled when I pulled him closer to me, but he did not voice his opinions. He would see his brother soon, a sure motive behind his cooperation.

"Hold on," I ordered, then stepped off the edge. Although the boy wanted to be as far away from me as possible, he held on tighter while we fell. The height was no problem for me, but the boy stiffened up and refused to move. Instead of looking around as I usually did, I watched the boy's eyes squeeze closed. I smiled as he stopped breathing. Perhaps both of these boys could prove adequate amusement.

Nearly the second my feet contacted the ground, the boy jumped back. Color returned to his face as he started to breathe again.

"Move," I said. I gave him no time to recover from the rapid descent. If I was to get to his brother before Kisara, then I needed to make a slight change to my plan. Because the slave was not the boy I wanted, I had to go after his brother now. There was no time to take the boy I had to my home. He would have to be stored somewhere.

While I debated over where to keep him, we walked in the direction of the Dark headquarters. I had sent Krin and Kisara across town in the opposite direction, so I had no fear of encountering them. Convenient, as now I only had to focus on choosing someone to watch over my new slave.

When we passed by an old hotel, I realized exactly who could hold onto the boy.

"Stop walking and follow me," I said. The boy, who had been directly beside me, did as instructed. He had no idea as to what he was walking into. That thought made me smile.

I chose not to knock as I entered. The move was a dangerous one. However, the occupants of the hotel had fast reflexes. The boy and I would be safe.

A purple and yellow blur sped past us. The slave stepped closer to me to avoid being hit by one of my cousins as a second blur passed him. I stopped walking and waited to be recognized. It took a while, but the blurs eventually came to a halt.

"What-" the slave whispered. He had finally seen who shared the room with us.

Around twenty Venom Snakes lived in the abandoned building. The lobby was just barely big enough to hold the twenty of them, and that gave the impression that they were much larger than they actually were. Yet, there was nothing small about them.

One of the snakes slid forward to hiss, _Yes? _in my face.

"Would you mind holding onto my slave for me? I need to run an errand," I explained.

The boy turned to me in horror. "You can't be serious."

But before he even finished his sentence, a tail began to twirl up his leg. He shook it off and took several steps back, only to bump into another snake. Only a few more seconds passed before he was surrounded by them all.

_Be quick._

I nodded to the snake. "I will not be gone long," I said, then spun around to leave. I smiled as I closed the door. The gradually narrowing image of the boy being pressed against the wall by swarm of snakes amused me greatly.

But it now was time for more urgent matters. I might have distracted Kisara with my stunt, but how long that would last was a mystery. At any moment she might return to the rooftop and discover her companion to be missing. Surely Krin would be able to piece together my plan.

With the first boy in storage, I was ready to progress on to breaking out my child. He would prove to be more difficult to capture, as his chains would have to be unlocked. Doing so took time, even for me. I found myself hoping that the Dark was as gullible as the dragons.

I had purposely chosen a location to store the slave that was near to the Dark camp. I needed to remove any time between then and entering the headquarters. If I moved quickly enough, I might be able to have the Dark drop in on Krin and Kisara while they waited at the square.

I chose a dramatic entrance. If I acted as though I had just discovered startling news, then I would have a better chance of convincing the Dark to leave.

"Magician!" I shouted, running through the room of zombies. I called out again once in the hallway and while doing so, I allowed my smile to fall. "Magician!"

"What now, Slaver?" He asked, stepping out of his room. I knew that he would be there, as he always was, but I kept up the illusion of haste.

"The Light beasts are calling together!"

The Magician's eyes opened slightly wider. "What?"

"They are assembling their troops and preparing for travel," I said, pausing to lean on the wall and feign catching my breath. This was the only time at which the Magician had seen me in such a state. He would be forced to take it seriously.

"Where? Where are they all?"

Our loud voices had drawn a crowd. How very perfect. The more who heard me now the better. Any loyal Dark member would instantly chase after Light creatures that posed a threat. And the more Dark creatures that I could get out of the building, the easier it would be to break out my child.

"At the square across town. They have been there all morning."

Red stepped out from behind the Magician. The two exchanged a look, then Red began to shout out instructions to those surrounding them. The immediate reaction was impressive. That was one factor that the Dark dominated over the Light in regards to. Their bond was much stronger and unified than the Light. The Light tended to stay separate, traveling in smaller groups. That fact let me know that the Magician would take any larger group as a threat.

"Gather a band. Even if this isn't a army forming, we will need to check on it," Red called out. He moved through the groups of zombies, demons, and ghouls. As they began to assemble, I moved over to the Magician to pretend to offer my help.

"Do you need me to do anything?"

The Magician shook his head. "If you came along, it might trigger a war. Stay neutral as long as you can."

I nodded. "I can do that. You might want to go quickly before they have the time to assemble completely."

"Get together!" Red shouted.

The Dark members moved rapidly. Not another minute passed before they had all organized and moved into some form of a line. I did a quick count over the bodies. Over four dozen of the Dark stood in the main room and the hallway. If all standing in the row left, then that would not leave many left in their headquarters.

"Head out now! We are moving in a three-eight formation to the square across town. Time is crucial!" The Magician called out while he walked up and down the line. His fingers tapped along the side of the staff he always carried. Whether he was nervous or excited, either worked for me. In a matter of moments, he would be gone, and with him, most all of his troops.

I stayed in the hallway until the last of the line exited the front door. Even once that happened, I waited a moment for safety, then continued down the hall. One more turn and I would have reached my destination.

When I walked through the doorway to the my child's room, another dilemma appeared before my eyes. Kuriboh sat next to him, trying desperately to gain his attention. The furry creature poked at my child's cheek repeatedly, but my boy's head remained turned in the opposite direction.

I cleared my throat and waited. Kuriboh and my boy turned at the same time to see who had entered.

"Good afternoon. Kuriboh, did you not hear that all your brethren just left?" I asked, hoping he would chose to follow them out.

He growled. If he had heard their leave, then he had no interest in following.

My child stared up at me. His mouth was barely cracked open, most likely to keep the cut from healing together once more. Since it sat open, he appeared incredibly curious as to what was happening. It was more likely that he wanted to know how I would handle his former owner.

My plan for Kuriboh was incredibly simple. I moved over to the corner of the room where the Magician stored the furniture that used to be in the office.

"The dragons are setting up an attack. It is quite a big deal to the Magician," I said casually as I sifted through the items. I wrapped my hand around a small lamp, and I took a step backwards, never turning to face the others in the room. The lamp stayed close to my chest to keep them from catching onto my plan. This was not the exact method that I had wanted to go with. If I could have chosen, it would have involved Kuriboh being absent upon my arrival. Yet, I would have to deal with the situation as it was. I had to leave a witness.

Killing Kuriboh certainly crossed my mind. I could make it seem as though a Light creature or an ally entered in and killed him, taking my child with them. If there was not a witness, I would get away clean.

But in the off chance that I was caught, then I would have to take some precautions now. Killing him would be certain death if I was found out. It would be considered treason if a member from a neutral force killed any member of the upcoming war. Krin might even kill me for interfering.

So the weak ball of fur would be allowed to live. And with that, he would know what happened. As soon as the boys were both locked in my possession, then leaving town would have to be my next step. Certainly I could find another city to take up occupation in. I could make this work.

Taking another step back, I angled down my face so I could see my child's feet just behind me. Once I knew I was close enough, I turned around.

"I am taking the boy," I stated.

Kuriboh growled and flew into the air, stopping at eye level. He hovered a few feet away.

"Will you let me take him, or shall I force you?"

I gave Kuriboh no opportunity to respond. My child seemed to know what I was about to do. I watched as he closed his eyes tightly and turned his face away. He wanted to avoid the shattered pieces of the lamp from injuring him further.

Simultaneously, Kuriboh and I lunged at each other. He with his claws bared, and I with my lamp. Just as we were about to make contact, I dove to the side to have a better angle at the back of his head. Then swinging the lamp as hard as I could manage while in midair, I hit the lamp against him, and it broke apart into hundreds of pieces.

Kuriboh fell to the floor. I landed on the other side of my child, so I was not close enough to see if the creature was unconscious. My boy beside me looked over to his prior owner and examined him to the best of his ability. We both wanted to know if that had worked.

"Were you trying to kill him?" My child asked quietly.

"No, just leave him unconscious long enough for us to safely leave," I answered while I stood back up. I wanted to start unlocking the chains around my boy's arms, legs, neck, and waist, but first I had to make sure that Kuriboh was not going to wake up during the process.

I walked over to him. His small body rose and fell steadily with deep breaths. He made no other movements.

But for good measure, I kicked him sharply where the lamp had hit.

"He's out. Now will you get these off me?"

I smiled as I pulled the key out of my pocket. I had picked up a habit long ago of only using locks that I held two sets of keys to. The chains that held my child were of the same sort. While the Magician had one key, I left him unaware that I kept a second.

"How very convenient," my boy muttered. I set to work on the chains around his upper half first. With his foot broken, transporting him would be difficult. And once the chains were removed, he might attempt to move, further harming himself. Thus, I decided it to be safer to wait to take the chain holding his broken foot off.

He watched me while I unlocked the chains near his head. I myself did not look down at him. If I paused to stare, then I would become distracted and lose valuable time. Since my original plan had been altered, I now had to go back for his brother once I was done with my boy. Time was slipping by me too quickly for any delays.

He rolled his head around when the band from around it was placed to the side. His hands remained where they were while I moved down to take the one away from his waist.

When that band was removed, he tried to sit up. I had to stop him and lay him back down.

"Do not move just yet."

"Well hurry," he said.

I smiled. Even if I took off all the chains, he could not go anywhere. He was operating on my time. From what I knew of the boy, he was only interested in seeing his brother as soon as he could. I chose not to tell him

that once we were out, he would still have time to wait.

The last chain circled his broken ankle. He closed his eyes as my hands descended on top of it, then he pulled his hands up to his face and buried his head in his arms. This would hurt him greatly.

"Try not to make any sound. There might still be people inside the building, and I would hate to have to fight them off as well."

Nodding underneath his pile of arms, my child caught his breath, waiting for the sudden burst of pain. When it finally hit him, his reaction was visible. Fingers clenched into his hair, a slight groan slipped between his lips, and he made the mistake of pulling at his leg to try to get away from me. All that managed was to cause him more pain.

He was free of the bonds, which only left the problem of getting him out.

"So now can I sit up?" He mumbled, still hiding his face.

"Are you capable of doing so?" I questioned.

He let his hands slide away from his face. When his features were revealed, I could see that he had been holding back tears. He pushed himself up with a red face. His eyes remained squeezed closed. I never understood why humans closed their eyes when they were in pain. It accomplished nothing. Was closing one's eyes even necessary?

"I am going to have to carry you out. Try to stay quiet and not to over react."

"Over react? And what might that include? My ankle is shattered," he said. His breath was coming out in short gasp-like spurts. I knew that his every movement was sending jolts through his body. He did not say anything of the sort. All he did was bite down on his still parted lips.

I placed a hand behind his back and lightly put the other underneath his legs. There was going to be no way to carry him without his leg dangling down, so he would simply have to deal with the pain for a while longer. I would do my best to assist him though.

I slowly raised up to a full standing position. My child leaned into me so that I could feel his chest rising and falling. And with that, I felt every time his pain increased. He inhaled quickly any time his ankle swayed even the slightest. We were in for a difficult journey back to my home.

I peeked out the doorway to make sure that no one stood in the hallways. Smell lingered in the air from the Dark troops who had just marched out. The odor was not strong, and it was fading away. No one had come anywhere near since the troops left. I decided that it was safe to go.

I wanted to move faster, but my child resisted the action. "Please don't do that," he whispered.

"We must get out of here now if you do not wish to get caught. You want to see your brother, do you not?" I said without slowing my pace.

He did not answer. But after I exited the building, I glanced down and noted that he lost control of his tears.

I had dealt with many children in my time in this world, all of whom spent their time sobbing or cowering in fear from all of my kind. Crying was nothing new to me. But although I had grown accustomed to it, the act irritated me generally. Such a display of weakness left no traces of pity in my thoughts, only the sudden desperation to kill the children. But I could do no such thing, as they were my career.

My child crying did not bother me. The only noises that he made were his breaths. He did not sob; he did not beg for me to release him. His tears were purely caused by his pain, and that he was dealing with quietly, within himself. He made almost a noble effort not to react.

The streets were nearly abandoned. Most everyone had to have gone to the square on the other end of town. My rumor had drawn the crowd, much more than I had expected. Oh, whatever was happening over there had to be interesting. It was the type of thing that I would like to watch. More than that, it was the type of thing that I loved to cause. Just knowing that it was of my doing was an enjoyable thought.

I passed by the building where my child's older brother currently was trapped. I considered getting him then, but I did not trust him with his brother out of bonds. If I took my eye off of him for even a moment, then he might decide to try something. Coming back would be a necessary trip.

I stumbled at one point during the trip. The movement was very slight, almost unnoticeable, but the beginning of a scream came from my child. He had to slam his hand over his mouth to cover it up. He impressed me with the effort he put into obeying my order. That was how I knew he would make a good slave.

When I had come into this world, I chose a home on the very edges of the city. Most of those who came through the portal along with me gravitated towards the center of the city. So around the borders, there was less noise. That made the area much less interesting, but much quieter.

"The suburbs?" My boy asked as he let his head fall slightly to the side in order to get a better look at our surroundings.

I did not know what he meant, so I walked forward to my house. It stood in a line with dozens of other matching houses. Most of them were abandoned.

My door was never locked. Until today, I had no enemies. From now until I left the city, I would have to change that habit. But this time, it was convenient. With my boy filling up my arms, I would not have been able to get out a key. I nearly had to put him down just to twist the knob, but he reached out a hand to open it.

"Hurry and put me down," he said.

I chuckled and made a point of bumping into the doorway as I walked through. He shot a glare at me as he gritted his teeth together. I was certain that my action had caused him some manner of discomfort, but I just found his reactions amusing.

I had set up a room for my two new slaves after making the deal yesterday. I chose the smallest of rooms in the house, and put all they would need inside. So that was where I carried my boy. That door stood open so I could walk in without any barriers.

There was just one mattress on the floor, so I gently laid my child atop it. He leaned his head up to examine his new room.

"You really went all out," he said before dropping his head back down. He winced when the mattress reacted to his movement, and in turn, his ankle.

"Did I miss any necessities?" I questioned, knowing that I had not.

"A mattress and a pile of clothing? And don't think I didn't see the chains on the floor right there."

I looked in the direction he was pointing to the chains at the head of the mattress. "When I am here, you will not have to be chained. Those are only for the times in which I am absent," I explained.

"Where is Seto?" He asked.

"I am going to pick him up now."

I reached over to grab one of the chains, which I connected to my boy's wrist.

"I can't even walk. What is the point with this?" He asked, shaking his arm to show that to which he referred.

"Some humans can withstand great amounts of pain in order to overcome an obstacle. It is merely a precaution."

I stood up and smiled down at the human I had stolen. My interactions with him had been some of the more enjoyable times I had experienced in this world, and now, they would come far more often.

"Stay here," I ordered.

"As opposed to what?"

I smiled and took my leave. My child would be fine in the short time I would be away. I had no reason to even think twice about leaving him alone.

The streets were still near to empty when I went back out on them. Perhaps the event across town still held their attention. Or better yet, perhaps it had set the war into motion. Whatever drew all the creatures away, I worked perfectly to my advantage.

I stared up at the Sun, still bright in the sky above. With so many Dark troops out at such an hour, something had to be stirring. It was all that I could do not to run over and see how things were unfolding. Had Krin and Kisara discovered their slave to be missing? Did the Magician march over to the square only to find it empty? When would Kuriboh finally wake up?

My curiosity was pricked, but I could do nothing to ease some of it. The best I could hope for was to hear what happened from a relative in the coming days.

I did not knock when I walked back into the old hotel. The snakes knew that I would be returning.

I could not hold back the small chuckle that came from my mouth. The snakes had taken my request to hold onto the boy literally.

His back and one arm were the only parts of him touching the ground. Several different snakes had coiled their tails around his legs, head, and an arm, and had lifted those parts into the air. The slave was trying to fight them off, but any time he moved, the tail around his neck would tighten.

"Thank you for taking such good care of him," I said to all the snakes in the room. Once I had spoken, the tails began to withdraw from around the boy's body.

The Venom Snakes dropped him back to the ground at the same time. His hand immediately lifted up to hold the back of his head, but he made no sound. I was glad he and his brother were similar in that regard.

I walked over to my new slave and pulled him to his feet. He kept silent, but the expression in his eyes was murderous. It nearly caused me to laugh again.

The snake I had spoken to earlier nodded as the boy and I left.

I kept the slave close to me as we walked. I did not trust that the streets would remain empty for very long. Someone might recognize him, after all, he did previously belong to the three most powerful creatures in the city. It would not be long before he would be searched for.

"Venom Snakes?" He asked.

"My cousins," I stated.

"Yeah, I saw the resemblance," he muttered. The rest of the walk to my home was silent until we reached the rows of matching houses. The slave reacted in the same manner as his brother. "You live in the suburbs?" And yet again, I chose not to respond.

We walked into my home and I locked the door for the first time. The slave moved to the center of the room and looked around. His eyes lingered on several blood stains that discolored the floor and furniture in various places.

"Where is Mokuba?" He asked.

"Back this way," I answered.

Like the previous time, I had left the door standing open. So the moment the slave could see inside, he ran forward to my child.

"Seto!" My boy shouted. He did his best to hug his brother, but since he laid on the floor and could not move, it did not go very smoothly. The older boy got down on his knees and leaned down to close the distance, but when they touched, my boy gasped.

"You're hurt," the slave said. He reached out a hand as if he was going to examine his brother's ankle, but held back.

I had no interest in watching the two boys reunite, so I closed the door and locked it from the outside. I would return shortly, once all of the boring events had passed. For now, I was please with the though that I owned them both. My plan had gone almost perfectly. And now, the real entertainment could begin.

* * *

Sorry for the delay! You all should try to write a scene from the Slaver's POV. Has anyone tried writing a scene without contractions? Let me tell you, it is difficult. Hopefully this came across as a different POV than Seto or Mokuba.

Check out my blog for my thoughts on this chapter, and some information about the next chapter. Follow me on Twitter. . . AIM is LendingDreams. . . and so forth. Anyone who reads these notes knows all that by now.

Hope you enjoyed it!


	17. Seventeen

**Bubbles:** Ooh, I like typing that way better. So glad you enjoyed the Slaver's POV! I was a bit worried about it. And I was trying to make a point by the cousins thing. All the monsters consider themselves related to the rest of their attributes. I'm so glad you noticed! Haha- I loved that little portion of the chapter. It was my favourite part about it. Thanks for casting a vote. It does look like I'll be writing as Krin in the next chapter.

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination**: Don't feel bad. It happens. At least you didn't have to wait the three weeks it took for me to update. And lots of craziness is coming. These next few chapters (not necessarily this one) are going to be packed full of the "craziness."

**Pk Love Omega**: I inspire you? Why thanks! I've never been told that before. Totally made my day!

**Havelock Vetinari**: Didn't I label whose POV it was? I thought that I did. Hm. If not, I mentioned it on my blog. Anyways, I did try to keep the Slaver in character. Difficult, because I kept switching over to Seto's mindset. I haven't been focusing on Kara as much as Krin and Kisara, so that may be why you haven't gotten her "handle" yet. And the monsters should figure it out. If they don't, it might be a problem.

**ZQuill**: Haha- that's pretty amusing. I'm sure you were just having the same sort of mindset as Kisara at the time. Haha. I've said it before, but you really do catch onto the little details. I love that. And I really thought it was about time for Seto to be the "bonus brother." I mean, poor Mokuba is always used for Seto, it's time for the opposite to happen. Haha- you won't miss the facial cut and you know it! And this chapter is Seto's POV. So enjoy their reunion. I had that conversation with another reader (about how the dragon's couldn't tell). We got into a relatively long discussion about it, so instead of doing so here, I'll just tell you to wait until the next chapter. It is going to start from that conversation between Krin and Kisara. (Unless people want to see Kara's POV – the poll will decide)

**Lace Kyoko**: That certainly does sound difficult. But I know what you mean about contractions feeling weird now. I pause every time I type one now. I keep thinking that I need to correct it. Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

**AyaseFanGirl**: We certainly have been talking about everything. Haha. I don't really have anything new to say here. . . Enjoy this chapter!

**Everwild**: Thank you. And that was what I was going for. The Slaver is a pretty impassive character, but I liked the way everything came across in his POV. He sees things a lot differently than the other characters.

**TeresaShiho: **Phew. You cut that review close. I nearly didn't have time to respond to it here. THANKS! I'm glad you liked the escape, and Seto and Mokuba's POV. Is it nice to see Seto in a world where Yugi is dead? Haha. And I do plan on discussing how the two worlds ended up connected. It is just coming later on. And you reviewed about seeing more characters right before the other characters come in! What timing! I'm glad you like the dragons, I think they are pretty cool too. I've been told that it was a good thing that I didn't make Kisara the real version. I didn't think much of the real one. You've got no idea the pressure I am having to make this very entertaining for you. Haha. But I love it when authors take the time to talk with their readers, and I love doing so. And I'm sorry that THIS is the chapter where you pick up. It is so not as interesting as all the others!

Author's Note: _This is the last chance you'll get to vote in the poll on my profile! If you want to see a __certain dragon's POV for one of the next chapters, go vote now. I'm going to start working on it soon, so after about a week, that poll will be replaced. _

* * *

**Seto**

"Mokuba, I understand that you want to hug me, but you have to stop moving," I said as I lowered his shoulders back down onto the mattress.

"It's not that bad," Mokuba said. But I could see the forced line of his mouth and the tight fists his hands had formed. I knew he was experiencing serious pain.

"Are you looking at the same ankle as I am?"

"So, the dragons are just riveting," Mokuba said to change the subject.

"Don't do that. We are being serious."

"I didn't know you were a doctor. Is there some way you can magically heal my ankle?"

"At least let me look it over."

"Seto, you can't do anything for it. It's broken, and I know that it is serious. Now that I've admitted that, can we skip the worrying part and jump to the sappy reunion?"

I closed my eyes so that I could think rationally. Before, all I saw was his purple and shattered foot. Because of that, the only thing I wanted to do was try to fix it. Now that I had somewhat blocked out the situation, I knew that he was right in the respect that I wouldn't be able to do anything. In only five minutes of being reconnected with my brother I already had begun to let out my overprotective side. It tended to appear whenever I knew something was wrong with Mokuba. And now, knowing what all I knew about broken bones, I was nervous.

But the best course of action would be to wait and tell the Slaver when he returned. Maybe the only reason he hadn't attempted to treat the injury was that he didn't realize the severity of a broken bone.

I opened my eyes. "Hey," I said. Then I leaned down and gave my little brother the softest hug I could manage.

"Good to see you," he responded. Only a second passed before he burst into a smile. "Did you know that you are in love with Kisara?"

I rolled my eyes and chuckled shortly. "She is out of her mind."

"Oh yeah, you are all that she thinks of. I had been keeping a count. I think it was about thirty-four times that she mentioned you in an hour."

"Just thirty-four?" I said.

Mokuba just smiled and said, "I cannot believe that you were chosen by all three of them. Shouldn't that like, not be possible?"

"I will never claim to know how they operate. But far more importantly, how did you get away from Kuriboh? Something involving a knife?"

Mokuba bit at the corner of his mouth to hold back a smile. But that was the first time I noticed the long cut running down his lips.

"I threw a water bottle at him and tacked his foot to the wall."

"So we should have tried that sooner?"

Mokuba grinned. "Yeah. Maybe."

Our conversation fell into a lull so we could stare at each other. Looking at him brought back the knowledge that he was safe. He was lying beside me, close enough that I could reach out and touch him. Ever since the time that Kuriboh kept me locked out of the house, I had been so worried about him. While we were separate, I hadn't been able to help him. Although I could now see he was injured, I knew he was alive. The constant pain that had surrounded me vanished. There was no longer pressure constricting my every breath because I believed I had failed him. I was just left with relief filling my whole body.

I hugged him again.

I didn't move far when I pulled back. I lied down on my side on the floor next to his mattress. Mokuba reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Are you mad that he took you too?" Mokuba asked.

"Of course I'm not mad," I answered quickly.

"Then did he tell you?"

"That you made a deal with him?" I said.

"Yeah," he whispered. I heard the guilt seeping through his tone. He felt bad about allowing the Slaver to take me. My stomach dropped as I realized I had much more to feel guilty about. He had no idea what I had done.

"Mokuba, I need to tell you something."

He hesitated. My brother knew me well enough to know when I was leading into a difficult subject. He took a deep breath and said, "Okay."

"I made a similar deal with Kisara," I began. The memory of yesterday's deal had my breath caught. I had been in so much pain when they forced the deal upon me that I only vaguely remembered swearing away my brother's life.

I angled my chin upwards to stare at the ceiling before going on. "They refused to believe that I wouldn't try to escape once we were together. Krin made me swear that I would stay."

"What did you swear on?" Mokuba asked. He knew what I was trying to say, which made what I had to say easier, but not much.

"I-" I started, but I stopped. I couldn't imagine what words to use to tell my brother that I had put his life entirely in my hands. How could I tell him that if the dragons found us, we could never leave them? I threw away any freedom he might have had.

He still needed to know.

"I swore on you."

His grip on my hand fell slack. "Like on my life?" He asked.

"I am so sorry," I said in a quiet voice.

"Why would you agree to that?" His voice cracked as he asked the question.

"I was being selfish. I need you to be with me. It is the only way I can always know that you are safe. And if staying together with Kisara was how I had to accomplish that, I could live with it."

"So you gave them permission to kill me if we run away?"

"That was the agreement."

My breathing stopped when he didn't immediately answer. I had made it so that he was enslaved to the dragons as well. The very beings that I hated the most now had reason to hold my brother hostage. How could he ever forgive me?

Then he squeezed my hand. I turned to look at him and was greeted with a small smile. "We are going to be trapped with some monster anyways," he said. His smile grew and he faintly shook his head. "I want to be with you too."

I started breathing again.

"I love you, Mokuba."

"Oh, I know. You must love me to run away from Krin. Seto, he is so scary."

We both laughed as the tension that hung in the air dissipated. Mokuba had casually dropped the issue for the time, but I think we both knew that it would come up again. The dragons were not going to let the Slaver get away without a fight. They would come for me. When that happened, the subject would arise again. But for now, we could let it slip.

"You have such horrible timing," I said.

"Me? You're the one who ran away right before I showed up!" Mokuba responded.

The door opened. Since Mokuba was facing the wrong direction, he rolled his head back so he could see the Slaver standing in the doorway. Our kidnapper held a key in his hand.

"Have you finished with your reunion?" He asked.

"Not quite, care to come back tomorrow?" Mokuba said while the Slaver walked over.

He knelt down and slid the key into the lock around Mokuba's wrist. Mokuba quickly pulled his arm close to him once it was freed. He gave a sort of half-nod thanks.

I could usually read my little brother's expressions, but this one was clouded. Since I had been separated from Mokuba for all the time that he had dealt with the Slaver, I didn't know the extent of their time together. I knew enough about their dealings to know that Mokuba was his prisoner before, and that the Slaver was the main reason Mokuba was injured. Mokuba couldn't think well of him in that light. However, the Slaver had kidnapped me, just so Mokuba could be with me. Their relationship was certainly a mixed one, but I had yet to determine my brother's exact feelings towards the monster.

"I will not be here for long. Put on the clothing I have left for you, then come out for instructions," the Slaver ordered.

"He can't walk," I said.

"Then I suppose it is convenient you are here to assist him," Trap Master said with a smirk. After speaking, he stood, kicking the mattress in the process. Mokuba's teeth gritted together in response.

"Do try to be quick about it," he added before leaving.

Mokuba propped himself up on his elbows when the door closed. "Well, see what he wants us to wear."

I pushed myself up and reluctantly released Mokuba's hand. He seemed to be indifferent to changing clothes, but I was not. Although my clothes were dirty and torn from being dragged across a roof, they were mine. Once they were gone, all that I would actually own would be my locket. I would have to make sure that remained hidden.

Stepping over to the pile, I did a quick examination. There were four items contained within it. I picked up one of the shirts and then the other and found that they were both identical. The only difference was the sizes. I threw the smaller of the two over to Mokuba, then examined my own. It was a simple white, long-sleeved t-shirt. I held it up for Mokuba to see.

"That isn't so bad. It could have been a lot worse," he said.

I shrugged and threw the shirt over my shoulder so that I could pick up the pants. The two pairs were also the same, aside from the different sizing.

"They are our sizes," I said in surprise.

"He probably has to get clothing for a lot of people," Mokuba said.

When I showed the pants to Mokuba, he groaned. "We are going to look like waiters," he muttered when I dropped the black pants on top of his shirt.

"Waiters, servers, servants, slaves, it isn't a big jump," I said.

Mokuba laughed. "Okay, you're right about that. Is there a bathroom through there?" He asked, pointing to the second door in the room.

I opened the door and glanced inside. "It is. And it even has a shower. That's good, because your hair is looking a little greasy."

Mokuba threw the white shirt at me. "Excuse me for being imprisoned for the past week."

I tossed the shirt back to Mokuba and dropped my own. I had to get changed first so that I could help Mokuba. I decided against changing in the bathroom so that I wouldn't have to be away from Mokuba. I just got him back. I would not leave his side any time soon.

I got dressed quickly and got on my knees beside Mokuba. "Your turn, kiddo."

The shirt would be the easiest to put on, so I grabbed that first. "Shirt off," I instructed.

I had to help him move to an upright position. He tried so hard not to show the amount of pain he experienced by just sitting up. I wanted to comfort him, to tell him that he would be okay, but I wasn't even convinced of that. If he was left untreated, he could die.

I shook my head to rid it of the thought. Mokuba would not die.

He pulled off his shirt while I pressed down on his legs. Although I did my best to keep his legs from moving, I noticed the slight flash of pain that crossed his face. Assuming that I hadn't been helpful, so I pulled back.

"No!" Mokuba exclaimed. He grabbed my hands and put them back into place. "It helped."

I repeated the action of holding down his legs so he could put the top half of the Slaver's uniform on. Once he finished, we both just stared down at his ankle.

"Maybe we can cut these off?" Mokuba suggested.

"And what about the new pair?" I said.

Mokuba sighed. "Can you think of any way to do this without it having me pass out?" He asked.

"Lie back," I said.

He did so slowly, checking several times to make sure I wasn't about to move my hands again. Once he was on his back, I started to unbutton his jeans.

"What are the chances that he will let me wear these?"

"Near to non-existent. The Slaver knows that your ankle is broken, but he still told you to change. I don't think that he cares."

"Then just get it over with," Mokuba said.

I couldn't stop thinking that there had to be some way to make it easier for him. Cutting off his current pair could eliminate some of the problem, but we had nothing to cut with and we would still have to deal with the second pair. What I really needed was something to brace his ankle until I was ready to pull the material over it.

Nothing in this room could serve as a brace however. I needed another idea. His leg could be elevated so he didn't have to constantly lift it up and down. That might help him some.

"If I moved you, how badly would it hurt?" I asked.

Mokuba leaned his head up slightly to answer. "Just lying here hurts, Seto. The only thing that could possibly make it worse is if I jumped on it."

"I doubt that is the only thing, but I want to try something. I am going to hold onto your leg, and while I do that, I need you to slide off the side of the mattress. Move until just the bottom of your leg is still on."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. Now go."

He did as I told him. I stayed beside his legs and held his ankle up so it wouldn't touch anything while he adjusted his position. He had to use his arms and good leg to do so. The whole time he was moving, his eyes stayed closed. Twice he stopped and breathed heavily through his mouth before continuing. I could do nothing but watch and hope that my idea would work.

When he finally was in the position I instructed, he collapsed.

"How bad?" I asked. I wasn't sure I wanted to know that answer.

"Very. Just do it."

"Can you slide your jeans down a bit, or do I need to?" I asked. I still held his broken ankle, and I was reluctant to put it down only to have to pick it back up. Any movement that could be avoided would help.

He nodded. "I think so."

It took him a moment, but he got his jeans pushed down enough for me to start doing my part. I removed one hand from his ankle and began to pull down on the hem of his jeans. As the material crossed over his ankle, I began to repeat "Sorry, sorry, sorry," because I knew that I was hurting him.

By the time I finished with the one leg, he had stopped moving.

"Mokuba, are you awake?" I asked.

There was no answer. I tried to wake him up, but after shaking him and receiving no response, I realized that it might be better for him to stay asleep. His body's reflex was to pass out to try to avoid the extreme pain he was experiencing. I could now get him dressed easier.

The second leg went much smoother. And I should have been much more careful while putting him in the new pair, but I wanted to speak with the Slaver. I may have moved too quickly in my haste.

I slipped a hand under Mokuba's legs and picked him up once finished. The side effects of being a prisoner so long finally were apparent to me. I was barely strong enough to hold Mokuba, as I had lost a large amount of muscle while trapped. I struggled to keep from dropping my brother when I opened the door, which was unlocked. I doubted the Slaver would leave it that way again.

I assumed that when the Slaver told us to come out, he meant for us to go back the way we came. I stopped in the hallway to look the opposite direction. I wanted to run. My feet started to take a step in the wrong direction, but I couldn't do it. Mokuba was growing heavier with every moment. We would never be able to escape while he was in this state.

Traveling back to the living room, I found the Slaver leaning against the wall across from a disgusting couch. I peered down at it, but turned away before I started trying to guess where the stains littering its surface had come from.

"That took longer than I expected," the Slaver stated.

"Well, his ankle is broken," I repeated.

"Yes, I am aware of that. However, the fact is not changed that it took the two of you longer than expected. Why is my boy unconscious?"

The Slaver already thought of Mokuba as his? I pushed the pronoun he had used out of my head. That could be worried about later. I wanted to talk with the Slaver before Mokuba woke up.

"His body shut down with the pain. He needs a healer," I said, thinking specifically of the Griggle who had healed me. Though certainly there were more monsters with that ability.

"I have seen plenty of humans recover from broken bones. He will be fine," the Slaver said dismissively.

"His ankle is severely broken. If he doesn't have it healed or receive medical attention, he could die."

That caught the Slaver's interest. "How so?"

"It is going to get infected. The infection will spread throughout his body and kill him," I explained using simple terms. Just thinking about Mokuba dying made me feel nauseous.

"Surely you are exaggerating."

"I'm not. If you don't get him help, then you will have gone through all of the trouble to kidnap him just to lose him after a few days," I said. I actually had no idea how long it would take for the infection to take over, but giving him a timeline of days seemed to convey the urgency well.

I had found it to be a rare moment when the Slaver's smile faltered. But once I warned of Mokuba's possible death, his face grew stern. He thought over the information I just gave him. He stared at Mokuba for the duration of his consideration.

"I will continue to think it through. Sit and I will give you your rules," the Slaver said.

I glanced down at the couch. "I would rather stand."

"Sit," he ordered. The word came across as more of a threat than an order.

So I sat. When I did so, I kept Mokuba's head propped up on my arm to keep him from having to come into contact with the couch. I let his legs extend in the other direction.

The Slaver glared down at my brother's unconscious form.

"Can you not wake him?" He asked.

"He will wake up soon, I'm sure."

The Slaver proceeded on. "Your rules are very simple," he began. His smirk was unnerving. "Know that you are only here because of your brother. I have no interest in you, and I do no want you. Thus, you will do exactly as you are told and without question. If I even hear you speak, I will kill you instantly."

My mouth opened to object to how ridiculous his order was. But before I spoke, the Slaver raised his eyebrows as if daring me to test him. We stayed in a kind of standoff while I debated how serious he was. Would he really kill me, or was it simply an empty threat? He worked just as hard to kidnap me as he did Mokuba. If he killed me, then Mokuba would never cooperate with him. And not just that, he would certainly be killed himself if the dragons ever discovered what he had done. If I could test him, I would. But the only manner of doing so that I could think of involved risking my life.

Mokuba's head rolled to the side, distracting both me and the Slaver. His initial reaction was to sit up, but I pressed my hand gently down on his chest to keep him from moving. That was the best I could do without speaking.

When he opened his eyes, he smiled up at me. Then he turned his head over to where he could see the Slaver. He groaned and looked back to me. "So the monsters actually are real?"

I couldn't help but give him a sad smile.

The Slaver walked over to the couch and knelt down next to Mokuba's head. He used a finger to tilt Mokuba's face towards him. But Mokuba knocked the hand off his face, though he didn't look away. I was worried that Mokuba was going to end up getting in trouble for his attitude, but the Slaver only smiled.

"Not in the mood to speak with me?" He questioned.

"I didn't realized that I was supposed to be."

"Of course, that is my first rule for you. You will speak to me every time you see me."

Mokuba snorted in what I read as amusement. "That is really your first rule? Shouldn't it be something like 'do not run away' or 'obey me?'"

"I do not think you could run away. Obeying me is your last rule."

"Short list," Mokuba murmured. "So am I allowed to scream at the top of my lungs?"

The image of him lying on the floor throwing a tantrum nearly had me laughing. I had to refrain though, as I wasn't sure if laughing fell into the talking category.

The Slaver didn't have to hold back his laugh. "If you desire to," he answered.

"Am I allowed to be disrespectful?" Mokuba pressed.

"Are you not already?"

Mokuba did his best to shrug, a feat which proved difficult while he laid in my lap. "Maybe a little. So just to clarify, I am allowed to attempt an escape?"

"I am certain that anything you could come up with would amuse me greatly."

"I find that offensive. I am certain that you seem to have forgotten that I have done it before," Mokuba spat back.

Mokuba spoke so easily with the Slaver, and that surprised me. That must have been the reason that the Slaver wanted Mokuba so badly. I doubted that the other people he kidnapped would talk to him at all, much less carry on insulting conversations. My brother had been a captive too many times to allow anyone to scare him.

"I happen to know that you are not going to be walking out on an injury that could kill you."

Mokuba hesitated then. "Where did you get that idea?"

The Slaver gestured to me. "From your brother. He and I had quite the discussion before you awoke."

Mokuba jerked his head in my direction and said, "I might die?"

I started to answer, but the Slaver's threat surfaced and I kept my mouth closed.

"Your brother is not permitted to answer."

Mokuba was angry. He closed his eyes and bit down on his tongue to keep from speaking so that he wouldn't say anything too rash. Once he had collected himself, he asked, "And why not?" The question was to the Slaver, but he stared at me.

"The two of you have the same rules, aside from one. You must speak; he cannot. If I hear even a single word from your brother, I will kill him," the Slaver explained.

"With a threat like that, I'd keep my mouth closed too," Mokuba admitted. He pressed his lips together with a second thought. "Is he still allowed to talk to me? If you can't hear him, I mean."

"As long as I cannot hear him," the Slaver agreed.

"So what else?" Mokuba asked. "I'd love to go to sleep."

"Just know this," the Slaver said as he stood up. "We will be leaving this city within the next few days. Do not get comfortable here."

Something passed across Mokuba's face. It was an emotion I could not place. There were moments of shock, confusion, and relief flickering in his eyes. He even wrapped his fingers tightly around my own. I would need to ask him about it later.

"Now can I go lie down?" Mokuba asked, but his words lost their biting sarcasm.

Trap Master held out a hand in the direction of our assigned room. Once more, I tried to pick Mokuba up without hurting him. A large gasp showed me that I did not succeed.

The Slaver followed behind us. It annoyed me that he wouldn't leave us alone so that I could speak with Mokuba, but I tried to be patient. Eventually, he had to leave and then we would have some privacy.

When we entered the room, I immediately placed Mokuba back down on the mattress. I glanced back to the door just in time to see it slam closed. The lock clicked shortly after.

I leaned down to get closer to Mokuba. I wanted to speak as quietly as possible in case the Slaver lingered outside the door. I whispered, "What could you not say in there?"

"I don't know how it ever skipped my mind. It has to be the pain or something. Seto, Domino is going to be bombed."

My thoughts stopped entirely. The very concept of a bomb was unfathomable. I tried to ask him for details, but I couldn't remember any words. He must have realized that I couldn't comment or question what he meant, so he went on.

"You got an email from some government guy. I never took the time to look at his name, but he said they were going to prove that humans are not going to stand down. They are trying to make the monsters understand that they have to back off," Mokuba said.

"Why Domino?" I managed to force out.

"The portal is in Domino. After the monsters came through, most of them stayed here."

I lifted a hand to press against my mouth. I hadn't expected the government to take such a drastic measure against the beasts, especially with innocent people left in the city. How were they willing to sacrifice lives to send a message? How had our ideas on right and wrong shifted in such a short time? The world was even worse than I had previously assumed.

"How soon?"

"Was I just unconscious for the one night?"

"I think so. It was just yesterday that I ran away," I answered.

"Eight days."

"They are blowing up the city in a week?" I said, unable to believe that as a possibility. That left us little time to do anything about it.

"Well, eight days," Mokuba clarified. "We have to respond to that email. We might be able to stop it from happening."

I nodded. "We need time to clear out the city before they attack."

Mokuba shook his head. "We can't let them bomb at all, Seto."

"If we don't do anything, then we will never get rid of the monsters. The idea would be solid if there weren't so many people left in the city and the surrounding areas."

"A bomb is a bit drastic, don't you think?" He said, beginning to sound annoyed that I wasn't agreeing with him.

"I know," I said with a half smile, trying to make sure he stayed calm. Mokuba had a tendency to physically show his irritation and I didn't want him to move to make a point. "I am just saying that we need to do something. I don't know what though."

Mokuba accepted that response and patted the mattress next to him. "Come sit up here with me."

"I don't want to hurt you."

Mokuba rolled his eyes and tried to pull me up beside him. "Don't argue with an injured person."

I crawled up to plant myself beside him. He shifted over slightly so he could lay his head on my shoulder. "Why is the government talking to you?"

"They have been emailing me for a while now. They originally wanted information about Gozaburo's old military files. But I don't have those anymore. But then I became their only contact left in Domino after the death toll spiked."

"I like knowing that you are still important, even after all this. Is that so awful of me?" He said. I heard him falling back asleep as he spoke.

"Really, I'd like to think that I could do without any of it."

"But then you wouldn't be Seto freaking Kaiba," he muttered as his eyes fell closed. Even partially asleep, he still winced when he subconsciously tried to move even closer to me.

Right before he fell entirely asleep, the Slaver opened the door. It only remained open long enough for him to say, "Oh, and boys, I would suggest resting today, as I am having a party tomorrow night. Sweet dreams."

* * *

And more of my usual comments down here. I discuss my thoughts on this chapter on my blog, the link is on my profile. Send me a message if you want to chat. I've given you a crazy number of ways to get in touch with me if you so desire to.

But hey, if you can guess what my favourite line from this scene is, I'll dedicate a chapter to you or something. (Because I totally have a favourite line.)

NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE AWESOME! I'll try an update before I move in two weeks.


	18. Eighteen

**KnAngel18**: Thanks! I'm glad you took the time to review. Hope to see you around in the future.

**Bubbles:** The Slaver is having a party. You read it correctly. Haha. And I love that you had that image of Seto. You and I clearly think alike. And I'm glad that you like the Slaver. That was something I was working for. And trust me, this is a party you want no part of.

**Pk Love Omega**: Vivid detail is something that I work for. Doesn't really come naturally. Haha. Thanks for the review!

**Dmitri Stormblood**: I did originally want there to be some party crashers, but I decided to go a different direction. What's a dark monster? Not the Trap Master, right? Because every one I have seen is Earth, just like the one I have. . . I just got confused there.

**Lace Kyoko**: Did you really think so? I kind of thought the chapter was a bit so, but I like how you seem to have enjoyed it. Hopefully, you will like this one way more.

**TeresaShiho**: Haha- I have a tendency to review right before an update too. And I hope the party lives up to your expectations. And I'm glad that you like the Slaver's POV, because I was really worried about that one. And the Light/Dark monster interaction scene is the next chapter. That's why the poll was on my profile. You'll be seeing it from Krin's POV.

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination**: You know, I hadn't thought of any irony behind that rule you brought up. But I really see it now. And trust me, I'm bringing the craziness in this chapter. It's . . . something.

**ZQuill**: Haha- I wasn't too consistent with updating this chapter. It is just SO LONG. The longest one yet, in fact. I think I'm making up for the last chapter being so short. And I love sarcasm on Mokuba. It fits him well. And how many times do you think Kisara could whine about Seto before Krin or Kara cut in? I'm going to attribute her lack of talking about him to that. And no tabloidshipping here. But I can see where you would get that. Just two people who only have each other in the world left to depend on. And no, not a regular party at all. Wait for it. . .. .

**Havelock Vetinari**: Haha- he does not have a trench coat. Probably because the dragons would have found him a whole lot sooner if he was that conspicuous. Who knows, maybe he will come across one later on.

_-Also! NONE of you got my favourite line. You got some of my favourites, but not the actual one. I'll be posting the complete list on my blog right after I update. So. . . It's up there now I suppose. I have listed my favourites from every chapter to this point. Check it out and let me know how it compares with your list. _

**AN**: New Poll posted on my profile. Mind you, this is a blind poll. I'm taking this one far in advance so that I can start working out the finishing touches on the plot. So, if you want a say in Kuriboh's fate, go vote!

* * *

**Seto**

After Mokuba had fallen asleep, I just laid beside him thinking. Mokuba and I didn't often disagree, but on the matter of the government's planned attack, we took opposing sides.

He disagreed with any form of attack. I saw why he believed that it would be wrong. No matter what we did to clear people out, there would always be the few we missed. Lives would be lost. We couldn't prevent that. The monsters had carried people underground and into the woods. And it wasn't just the city at risk, but all of the surrounding areas. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people would die.

It went against every part of my soul to allow innocent people to die. Yet I understood something that Mokuba didn't seem to. If we stood aside and allowed the monsters to claim complete control, then we had no hope. Mankind had to step up in some form. A bomb would be the fastest way to prove a point, but by far the choice with the most causalities. I knew what Mokuba didn't; the government had been asking me for KaibaCorp's old blue prints. They had been searching for another way to accomplish the attack. This was a last resort.

Gozaburo trained me in military procedure. Words from my old textbooks ran across my vision. Figures for acceptable causalities appeared, but I pushed the numbers out of my thoughts. No deaths should be considered acceptable.

I slept soon after Mokuba. He woke up several times during the night, which woke me up as well. Every time, he would groan when he tried to roll over, then turn to me and say, "Did I wake you up?" He would promptly fall back asleep.

I smiled every time.

When we woke up, we waited for a while. But when the Slaver failed to arrive, we decided to get cleaned up since we had nothing better to do.

So now Mokuba and I sat leaning up against a wall, both of us with our hair soaking wet. The Slaver didn't think it necessary to keep a bathroom stocked with anything, including towels.

"Worst thing the dragons did to you?" Mokuba asked.

We had begun to play a game after we both showered. In order to catch ourselves up over the events of the past week, we would alternate asking questions. That would prevent one of us from doing most of the talking.

"Kisara beat me up for running away," I answered.

Mokuba looked shocked, but it went against our rules to ask follow-up questions. In order to gain more details, he would have to wait for my turn to end.

"First place you went once you were free from Kuriboh?"

"I was stopped by Maggie Nale. So her house," Mokuba responded.

I nodded. I had heard of Nale. It did not surprise me that she would pull my brother off the street to help him.

"Why aren't you still hurt?" Mokuba asked.

"They brought me a healer. Where where you intending to go?"

"I had no plan. I was just running. They have healers?" Mokuba asked, then glanced at his ankle.

"It was a Griggle, so it makes sense. Why does the Slaver like you so much?"

"What's not to like?" Mokuba said. He was about to go on to his question, but stopped. He put his finger up to his lips. Only seconds later, I heard what he did.

Footsteps were coming near to our room. But it wasn't just one pair. Was someone else with him?

I reminded myself not to speak. I dug my thumbnail into my palm to continually remind me that speaking would result in death.

Mokuba gave me a fake smile as the door opened. It was supposed to be reassuring, and although I still didn't believe everything was fine, the amusing expression made me smile as well.

"In a good mood?" The Slaver questioned.

"Humans smile when they are miserable," Mokuba answered.

The Slaver cocked his head in confusion. "You are lying to me," he stated.

"You said I had to talk; you didn't say I had to be honest."

Expectedly, the Slaver smiled. "I brought you a present, boy."

The Slaver turned slightly to grab something that was in the hallway. Mokuba and I both leaned over to see what it was. The action was entirely unnecessary as almost instantly, the Slaver pulled in a man who clutched a bag close to his chest.

"Fix him," the Slaver ordered. He shoved him further into the room.

I knew the man. Not personally, but he had been at several of the meetings I attended. Like me, he stayed near the back of the room and rarely spoke. I never learned his name.

The man was visibly nervous. His entire body shook while he walked over to us. He glanced back often to make sure he was doing nothing wrong.

"Mr. Kaiba?" He whispered.

I elbowed Mokuba when he didn't answer for me. Mokuba turned to me, then realized what I was trying to say. "Oh!" he exclaimed before facing back to the man. "Seto can't talk. I'm Mokuba."

"Marshall. I was brought here because your ankle is broken?" he said, but sounded unsure.

"Can you fix it here?" Mokuba asked doubtfully.

He turned around again. The Slaver said nothing, but leaned against the door frame and stared. Marshall began to fumble through the bag he carried along with him. He pulled out bottles, bandages, braces, and many other supplies.

"I can do my best," he said.

"Where did he find you?" Mokuba asked. Marshall got more fidgety when Mokuba spoke to him. It probably would have made him feel more comfortable if Mokuba allowed him to work in silence.

"He came into the east side hospital saying that he had a broken ankle. When I went in to examine him, he grabbed me," Marshall said as he lifted up Mokuba's leg, bringing a cry out from my brother. Marshall didn't apologize, but continued studying Mokuba's ankle.

I held a hand out to Mokuba. I wanted to tell him to squeeze it to help counteract the pain, but without being able to speak, the best I could do was hope he would catch on.

Mokuba immediately grabbed hold. He didn't just squeeze my hand, but his nails dug into my palm. Even if I could have said something about it, I wouldn't have. In comparison to what he was experiencing, I never could complain.

"How did you know where the hospital was?" Mokuba asked the Slaver although several winces appeared throughout the sentence.

"Do you really believe that I do not know where all of your human hideouts are located?"

"You're like a stalker," Mokuba muttered, then gasped as Marshall turned his ankle slightly.

I lost circulation in my hand.

"It is my-" the Slaver began. Mokuba cut him off.

"Yeah, your job. I've heard it before. It's your job to kidnap people and sell them to the highest bidder. Well, unless you happen to enjoy that person's company."

"You understand perfectly then. Now be silent."

Mokuba did as he was told. Instead of devoting energy into speaking, he redirected it into his grip on my hand. I no longer minded, as I had lost all sensation in my hand.

The doctor held Mokuba's ankle in what seemed to be a straight position. I could see him mouthing something to himself, but his head was tilted down so I was unable to read his lips. I wanted him to say what was on his mind so that I would know. If he had concerns, I needed to hear them.

He didn't speak as he worked. No one in the room did. The only sounds came from Mokuba, though he was trying to stay quiet. I could see the focus printed across his features. He wanted to be strong throughout, but he cracked quite a few times. Marshall had begun bracing it, but in the process, he moved Mokuba's ankle a lot.

But as he worked, Mokuba seemed to relax. His grip on my hand lightened as the wrap around his foot grew thicker. By the time Marshall gently lowered Mokuba's leg to set it back on the mattress, Mokuba had let go entirely.

"Without surgery, setting it is the best that I can do," Marshall said.

"Will I be able to walk?" Mokuba asked.

"Maybe. But even under the best circumstances, it will not heal properly. Your ankle was severely injured," he said.

He was holding back. I could see it in his eyes. He didn't think Mokuba had much of a chance of walking, at least not without a limp.

Marshall picked up a few of the bottles he had pulled out of his bag. He handed one to Mokuba. "These are antibiotics. Take one three times a day until they run out. If you can stay away from an infection, that will greatly increase your chances of being able to walk."

He took a second bottle. "And these are pain killers. Try to only take a few a day."

Mokuba accepted both containers. He laid them in his lap and whispered a "thank you." There was no hiding his disappointment at the unfortunate news.

"Are you finished?" The Slaver asked.

Marshall nodded and stood up. He grabbed his bag and walked back to the Slaver slowly. The two of them left the room.

"Does it hurt less?" I asked.

Mokuba shrugged. "It helps that I can't accidentally move it. He braced it pretty tightly."

A scream came from the other side of the door. My heart sank as I realized what had just happened. Mokuba realized it only seconds after me.

"Did he just kill the doctor?"

"I think so," I said with a hushed tone.

Mokuba gritted his teeth tightly together as he rolled his eyes up to keep from crying. He didn't succeed, but let a tear slip from the side near to me. He quickly brought a hand up to wipe it away, but it didn't keep the second from falling.

"He died because of me," Mokuba said through his clenched teeth. He raised his hands to cover his face, because like me, he had been taught not to cry. He might have managed it if not for the previous days. The frustration and pain must have built up to his breaking point. There was no stopping the stream of tears that had begun to pour down his face.

"No-" I started, but when the door opened, my mouth closed.

"You two now have to prepare for my party tonight," the Slaver said, but then noticed Mokuba's condition. He appeared very taken aback, but still said, "Is something the matter?"

Mokuba used the back of his arm to clear his face of the tears. He glared at the Slaver through still-wet eyes and spat, "Why did you have to kill him?"

"That is what you are upset about?" The Slaver questioned. "You had to have known that I was planning to do so from the moment I brought him here."

"Why do you get to decide that my life is more valuable than his?" Mokuba asked.

"Because you are the slave. Your opinions do not matter in my thoughts. I suggest you forget about that human and prepare for the day's events."

Mokuba looked at me, but I couldn't answer him. Instead, I stared at him, desperately trying to convey the message, "_Let it go for now."_ I knew that was far too specific to convert into one gaze, but Mokuba seemed to get the general idea. The Slaver might enjoy his company, but there was no reason to push his luck.

So instead of speaking, Mokuba shifted his focus back to the Slaver and waited for him to speak again. I felt Mokuba's hand quivering against my side. I wanted so badly to talk to him at that moment. Instead of listening to the Slaver telling Mokuba how anymore outbursts would not be tolerated, I tried to think of a way to communicate to my brother.

I nearly laughed as I realized the solution to my problem. It was absurd that Mokuba or myself hadn't already thought of it.

"Now come with me and I will show you where you will be working," the Slaver ordered, and I helped Mokuba to his feet. Technically, I helped Mokuba stand up on his one still-operating foot. He leaned against me and began to hop in the path the Slaver directed.

"Child, your job will be in here," the Slaver said as he led us into a cluttered kitchen. Trap Master pulled out a stool and pointed to it, so I walked Mokuba over. It relieved me when I saw how much less pain he seemed to be in.

Mokuba adjusted on the stool and leaned forward to prop his elbows on the counter. He had to push away piles of boxes before he could do so. He placed the pill bottles he had been carrying on the counter in front of him.

I didn't say anything when he moved the boxes, but I noticed a trail of red created from the movement. Mokuba had yet to see it since he was glaring at the Slaver.

I placed my hand on the tabletop and began to tap a finger. Within seconds, Mokuba was looking in my direction. A smile broke out across his face, which he quickly hid behind a hand.

But when the Slaver turned around to grab another of the boxes, Mokuba held up his fist and I tapped it lightly. The Slaver faced us again and we dropped our hands down before he could see them.

"What is that?" Mokuba asked, voicing the question that I had been unable to.

"What is what?" The Slaver questioned.

"That," Mokuba said and indicated to the red stain.

The Slaver smiled and opened up the box Mokuba was referring to. He then reached inside and pulled out a large object and threw it down in front of Mokuba. We both shifted back slightly as the large slab of meat slammed down before us.

"This is dinner," the Slaver said.

"For some reason, I would have pegged you for a vegan," Mokuba said while still leaning away from the large piece of raw meat.

"I have not heard that word in my time here. What is a vegan?"

"Not eating meat or animal products," Mokuba explained. I didn't know if he actually sat around and thought about the Slaver's diet or if that was just one of his random statements. I certainly never considered it. But now that I thought it over, I disagreed with Mokuba.

"Why would I eat anything that came from the Earth?" The Slaver said as an answer to Mokuba's statement.

"How should I know? I was just giving you my opinion. Oh wait, you don't care."

"So glad you are catching on. To prepare for the party tonight, you two will cut all this up into smaller pieces," the Slaver instructed. I immediately began to count the number of boxes in the room, which we now knew were full of this meat. I couldn't get an exact number from where I stood, but I could tell there were at least several dozen.

"That's gross."

The Slaver laughed. "Just do it. I will be coming back for you after a while," the Slaver said to me.

He was about to leave, but he stopped to talk to Mokuba first. He stepped between the two of us and said, "You never did thank me."

Mokuba snorted. "You let my ankle be broken, kidnapped me more than once, and then killed the doctor you also kidnapped. I'm sorry I'm not more grateful."

The Slaver shrugged and stepped away, but quickly moved to stand behind me. He placed a hand around my throat and put his head on my shoulder. I instantly tried to pull away, but he held tightly.

"I would appreciate some gratitude. After all, if you are not thankful, I will no longer do kind things for you. And that means I will have to take away your brother."

"Thank you," Mokuba said, but he rolled his eyes after speaking.

The Slaver either didn't notice, or he didn't care about Mokuba's disrespectful act. He let go of me and left the room. We both waited until we were certain that he was gone.

"Morse code? That was so smart!" Mokuba exclaimed quietly.

"Yeah, I am 'Seto freaking Kaiba,'" I said, repeating his phrase from last night and putting air quotes around my name.

Mokuba used his thumb and index finger to pick up the edge of the meat. He gave it a disgusted look before laying it back down. "How are we supposed to cut this?"

"I'm sure there is a knife in here somewhere."

Because Mokuba couldn't walk, I went around the kitchen and searched for a knife set. The pieces of meat were very thick, so in order to cut through it, we would need large, sharp knives. The search through the kitchen was far from pleasant. I could not find an inch of space that wasn't covered in dust, dirt, or blood. Even the insides of the drawers were just as dirty. By the time I found knives, my hands were brown.

I picked up two of the utensils and carried them to the sink.

"Everything in here is disgusting, Seto. Are you seriously going to bother washing things down?" Mokuba asked. He had turned partially in his seat so he could watch me work.

"I'm not washing everything down, just my hands and the knives. Maybe the area we will be working on," I said as I ran my hands under the water.

"Why don't you just do the floors while you are at it?"

"If you say that any louder, he might come back in and make us scrub the floors," I said as I began to wipe off the knives. I nearly stopped once the dirt was mostly off, but I couldn't do anything halfway. So I continued washing off the knives until I found them satisfactory.

"Knowing you, you'll end up cleaning the entire room. It kills you to be in here, doesn't it?" Mokuba said.

"I don't know what you are referring to," I answered. I moved back over to the island and laid the knives down on top of the meat so that they wouldn't have to touch the top of the counter.

"I'm referring to your inability to do anything without making sure it is perfect. Seto, we are working for a monster. Do you really believe that he cares if anything is clean? I mean, look at this place!" Mokuba said, holding out both hands as if to show me the state of the room.

"Why provoke him?" I asked while handing my brother a knife. He dropped the knife onto the counter where there seemed to be an excess of filth. I reached out to pick it up, but he slid it away from me.

"You are OCD."

"No I'm not," I said, ignoring his knife and beginning to cut up the meat that was already laying out.

"Then why are you cutting that in perfect squares?"

"Shouldn't you be doing this too?" I asked in a poor attempt to change the subject. Mokuba was enjoying this conversation far too much to simply let it drop.

"I should be. Why won't you just admit it? It's not like there is anything wrong with you having a disorder," Mokuba said.

"I don't have a disorder. I just like things to be done properly."

Mokuba shook his head. He then reached up to grab the top of the nearest box and in one fast motion, pulled it over to its side.

"So I can reach inside," he explained. Mokuba pulled one of the pieces of meat out and wrinkled his nose when his fingers touched it. The expression remained on his face as he picked up the knife. He looked blankly at the two items.

"You have to get started eventually," I said. I had just finished slicing the first piece and reached for a second. I used my wrist to push the chunks out of the way to make room.

"I thought I had started. Can't you just do it all? You will do it better."

I raised an eyebrow in Mokuba's direction. "Do you really think I can do all of these boxes on my own? It isn't so bad," I said, finishing with a lie. It really was hard for me to do. From the moment I started, my hands became coated in the blood from the meat. As the blood began to dry, it grew sticky, which attracted what appeared to be all of the dirt and dust in the room.

"I was wrong. You must not be OCD. This is awful."

"Glad you agree. Now, you'd better start," I said.

"This is a whole lot of boxes. How many monsters do you think he has coming?" Mokuba asked as he finally began to cut.

"Maybe they just have excessive appetites. Better question, why do monsters have parties?"

"Even more important than that, what do monsters do at their parties? I doubt they will be playing Twister," Mokuba commented.

"I believe we would be better off if we didn't focus too much on what is going to happen in a few hours. I doubt that any guesses we make will be accurate," I said.

Mokuba pressed his lips together before saying, "Fine. Be a bore."

We didn't talk much over the next hour. The Slaver must have been making preparations in the next room because he constantly walked by the door. To be cautious, Mokuba and I limited our conversation to tapping out small sentences on the table. Mokuba found the action quite amusing and began to use his knife to tap out beats instead of letters. I didn't stop him from wasting time. I enjoyed watching him nod his head while clearly singing some song in his head. If I ignored the filth in the kitchen and that we were cutting up raw, bloody meat, I could nearly imagine that we were back at the mansion fixing dinner. Ironically, it was the closest to normal that we had been in a while.

When the Slaver returned, we were in the process of pushing our completed work into the box we had emptied. He surveyed what all we had done and said, "You will need to work far more quickly."

"This takes a really long time," Mokuba said.

"Work faster."

Mokuba rolled his eyes, but didn't stop filling the box. However, he continued to move at his prior pace.

The Slaver didn't comment on Mokuba's speed. He looked to me and said, "I am going to show you what all you must do tonight. Step over here."

The Slaver moved to the other side of the kitchen where a counter wasn't covered in the same sort of boxes. This space had what appeared to be large, plastic containers with a spout at the bottom. Beside sat a vast assortment of different types of cups, varying from the cheap, colored version to the more expensive wine glasses.

He picked up one at random and held it underneath the spout. He then opened the nozzle and a liquid poured out which I recognized to be blood.

"When my guests arrive, fill these and deliver them to everyone," the Slaver instructed. He lifted up the cup and drank the contents.

"What kind of blood is that?" Mokuba called out from where he sat. I turned my head back to him and nodded a quick thanks for his question. That was my exact concern.

"Are you assuming that it is human?" He asked.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past you," Mokuba said.

When the Slaver grinned, his teeth were slightly tinted red. "It is blood taken from the animals which you are currently cutting. There is no reason to waste potential slaves," he said. But in a voice that Mokuba couldn't hear, he added, "besides, humans have no real flavor."

I wouldn't have responded to that if I could.

Before the Slaver could continue with my list of duties, Mokuba asked, "What exactly is the point of having this party?"

"I am biding my family in this city goodbye," the Slaver said.

"So it is a going-away party?" Mokuba asked.

"We are going away," the Slaver said, his words sounding faintly of confusion. I was beginning to see how limited his knowledge was of human phrases. That fact was unexpected. He had said that it was his job to know about humans, so shouldn't he know how we speak?

"Is it common for monsters to have parties?"

The Slaver appeared momentarily irritated, but the expression soon disappeared. "Child, we are not monsters."

"Yeah? You certainly act like them," Mokuba muttered.

Every time that Mokuba made a comment such as that, I expected the Slaver to snap. If anyone spoke to me like Mokuba spoke to the Slaver, it would have angered me. But just as all the other times before, the Slaver responded in the same way.

He smiled.

"Just because you do not understand the differences in our species does not mean that we are monsters," he stated. That was the last the Slaver said in that particular discussion. He changed course by saying, "Now slave, come out here and I will point out a few more things."

He left the room with me following behind. Mokuba gave me the same faking encouraging smile as before as I walked out.

When we entered the living room, he said, "Move everything to the edges of the room." And he stepped back.

There wasn't too much furniture in the center. I didn't bother making any show of defiance, as I imagined that this command might be one of the simpler ones I would receive during the rest of the night. The Slaver had leaned against the wall closest to the front door, so I began to push the couch in the direction of the kitchen. He made no comments that he wanted it elsewhere.

The couch which had so repulsed me yesterday now barely registered in my thoughts. After working in his kitchen and seeing that mess, the couch didn't seem so bad.

Once that was as close to the wall as I could manage, I proceeded to move the coffee table. That was the last piece of furniture that was not already next to a wall. That I placed right next to the couch.

The instant that I had finished, the Slaver said, "Now go behind the house and clear away all that is out there."

The living room had a sliding glass door which lead into a fenced in backyard. I nearly pointed to it to ask if that was what he meant by, "behind the house," but I decided that he could not have meant anything else.

The lock on the door was broken and that seemed out of place. Why would the Slaver, who had such a fascination with chains, keep a broken lock? If Mokuba was able to walk, would he still leave it so, or was he really so confident that we were not planning to escape?

Even though his home was located in the suburbs, his backyard was fairly large. In a corner next to the house stood contained a shed with its door hanging off its hinges, and in the middle of the yard, a fire pit. Neither of those things seemed strange to me. It was the large metal device built next to the fire pit that confused me. There were three metal poles that were sticking out of the ground. They rose about eight feet into the air and had hardware on the top as if something was supposed to be connected to it. I walked around the garbage piled in the yard to get a better view to examine the contraption, but even from underneath, I couldn't tell what it was for.

"Get to work!" The Slaver yelled from inside the doorway. With one final glance, I concluded that I would not be able to figure out what it was that the bars were for, so I stepped away.

I wanted to ask where he wanted me to put the massive piles of trash that filled the yard, but I couldn't talk and he had left. I doubted that this job was just to move things to the edges of the yard.

I walked the perimeter of the yard. There were two gates total, both of which were locked. That must have been the reason he inside door did not have to be fixed.

But since those were chained closed, I had to figure out a different way of moving the trash. The odds of the Slaver allowing me to carry it through the house and out the front door were so slim that I barely regarded that as a possibility. My only real choice was to throw it over the fence.

I glanced up at the sky where the Sun was shining brightly. If I was to move the trash over the fence, then it would take hours. From the looks of the yard, the Slaver had emptied everything he did not want out of the house. The previous owner's furniture, electronics, personal items, decorations, and the like had all been scattered across the yard. The items had been sitting in the same position for what I could tell was a long time, as the weather had made them almost unrecognizable.

Taking a deep breath, I began.

I had been correct in my assumption that it would take hours to complete the task. Moving the first pile to the other side of the fence hadn't been too difficult. But as the day progressed, the temperature around me rose, and I grew more tired with every throw. The larger pieces of furniture had to be disassembled to some extent in order to make them light enough to lift. More than that, some of the wooden furniture had begun to decay while being outside. The result was sharp edges and in some cases, splinters. Those were not my only problems. My hands were unaccustomed to the labor I forced upon them, and cuts and blisters appeared across my hands.

The Sun was just nearing the horizon by the time I threw the last stack of picture frames across. I did one final check through the yard to make sure I had left nothing behind before walking to the house.

When I entered, the Slaver was nowhere to be seen. So I walked to the kitchen to find Mokuba.

He was still in the same position as when I had left, doing the exact same thing. He saw me and breathed a dejected sigh.

"I am so bored."

As I passed the counter I typed out, _"I can see that." _

I stood in front of the sink and twisted the knob. Part of me expected the water to be brown, but it was just as clear as the shower had been. It was also just as cold. I stuck my hands underneath and began to gently wash them off.

"What did he have you doing all day?" Mokuba asked. My hands were occupied at the time, so I didn't answer.

"He isn't in here. You should be fine if you whisper," Mokuba added.

"Clearing the backyard," I said quietly. I came across a splinter just after I answered him and had to use a thumbnail to force it out of my palm. I knew that would not be the only time I would need to perform the action.

"That's-" Mokuba started, but stopped when he likely heard the same footsteps approaching that I did.

"Are you finished?" The Slaver asked.

I couldn't tell who he was speaking to, so I continued washing my hands. Mokuba answered for the both of us.

"I'm still cutting. Seto is done in the backyard."

"You really have to do that more quickly, child. And slave, finish cleaning yourself and come out here," the Slaver said, then I heard him leave.

Mokuba and I simultaneously looked at each other and mouthed, "cleaning yourself?" Mokuba then added, "What are you, a cat?"

I didn't answer, as I had gotten distracted with another splinter. The remainder of time washing my hands went about the same way. For every inch of dirt I removed, I found another splinter. It took near to twenty minutes before I decided I had done all that I was capable of doing. And then I took the time to wash my face and neck off.

Then I glanced back to the cups laid out across the room. I walked over and picked one up and went over to the sink to fill it with water. I then handed it to Mokuba.

"Take your medicine," I instructed. Since his hands were covered in blood, I opened the bottles for him and pulled out one of each pill. He opened his mouth and I stuck them inside. He did as I asked, swallowing both of the pills at once.

"You should get out there," he said.

"Wish me luck," I whispered to him.

"You don't need luck. You've got this."

Sometimes I hated his optimism.

I walked into the living room to meet the Slaver. He was standing next to the front door and unlocking it. When he saw me, he came to stand in front of me.

"Make an attempt to be efficient tonight. Know that you will be punished if you embarrass me," the Slaver said.

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to respond. Did he want a nod or something?

I crossed my arms.

Both of our heads turned as the front door flew open, slamming into the wall. Through the door came in a stampede of monsters, all of a different sort. I recognized several, a Sengenjin, Tiger Dragon, Buster Blader, Battle Ox, Giant Rat, and many others. There were some I wasn't familiar with. As they entered, a few transformed into misshapen human figures while some remained beasts.

"Cousins!" Trap Master exclaimed in a tone that closely resembled cheerfulness.

"Leave the door open!" He called out. "More are on the way!"

There were already dozens of monsters filling the room. I simply stood where I was, hesitant to bump into any of the beasts. They however, had no problem brushing against me. I attempted not to stumble, but one solid push knocked me back into the Slaver.

He had been in a conversation with the human version of the Tiger Dragon. When I bumped him, he barely turned to see what had happened.

When he did see that it was me, he grabbed my arm and faced me towards the monster he was speaking to. Although Tiger Dragon was more human, the bold black stripes remained on his orange skin.

"Cousin, this is my new slave." As he spoke, the Slaver moved his hands to either side of my face so I was unable to look away. "I told you he was not horrible."

Tiger Dragon did what I believed to be a smile. He upper lip was the only part of his face that moved, and that only flipped upwards to reveal his top row of fangs. It could have been more of a sneer.

"And you expect this one to last?" He asked.

"If my record holds consistent, then I will be required to replace him within the month. It is my hope this one makes it longer."

Just as the Slaver took his hands from my face, I realized that it never occurred to me that the Slaver didn't own any other slaves. But he had a past record with slaves not lasting? What happened to them?

While the Slaver had been talking, more and more monsters flooded through the door. It soon grew to the point where there was little room to move. The Slaver saw this and announced, "If you will, step out to the back area! Entertainment will arrive in only a short time!"

The he said to me, "Are you not supposed to be servicing my relatives?"

I had been so caught up in the scene of a monster's party that I forgot entirely that I had been given an order.

I knew how Krin, Kara, and Kisara acted around one another, but to see a group this large socialize was closer to watching a pack of animals fight. I understood how the blood came to be splattered across his home. The monsters, although related, attacked each other in what I assumed was supposed to be a playful manner. The actions often broke through their flesh, creating new stains.

But I dipped my chin gently in response to the Slaver. I didn't mind the part of his command that required me to leave the sea of beasts. Being in the kitchen with Mokuba, even if only a moment, might give me the strength I needed to reenter the unconventional party.

It took a minute to ease my way through the Slaver's guests. When I finally was in the kitchen, I closed the door and leaned back on it. My palm immediately rose to press against my forehead while I tried to collect myself. I knew that I could handle this. I had been forced to do far worse things in my life. Reciting one phrase always managed to get me moving, so I began to chant it in my head. _Pain in only momentary. _

So frequently in the past I reminded myself of that fact. Allowing my actions to be dictated, and especially in a manner that so repulsed me, went against who I was. Aside from my hatred of my adopted father, he had actually dome me a favor by training me not to allow people to push me around. But now I had to shove my training to the recesses of my mind so I could go through with the evening.

"You're doing the 'momentary pain' speech, aren't you?"

I dropped my hand. "You know me well, kiddo."

"What is it like out there?" Mokuba asked. He laid the knife down after his question, but one look at his completed pile let me know that he had not done nearly enough, which is why the Slaver told him multiple times to continue.

"Keep going. Mokuba, I do not think I could properly describe the scene to you. It is nearly terrifying."

"As terrifying as the thought of Joey outscoring you on a test?" Mokuba said this to lighten the mood. He picked up the habit several years ago to combat the rare occasions when I started falling out of my calm demeanor.

"Almost."

"So what are you supposed to be doing?" He asked.

I glanced around the kitchen. "I am not really sure. His directions were incredibly vague."

"What were they?"

"To service his family."

Mokuba started to laugh. "I knew we were dressed like waiters for a reason!"

"You are not the one who has to go back out there," I said.

Mokuba paused to consider. "That's true. So you are the waiter, and I'm like the head chef," he said proudly.

"Sorry kid, you would never make it as a chef, especially not a head chef," I said, pointing to the three boxes he had spent the day working on.

"Shouldn't you be 'servicing' someone?"

"Right," I said.

Since Mokuba hadn't gotten nearly enough of his job done, I knew that I would have to start with the blood. It was about equally disgusting as the slabs of meat I could hear Mokuba chopping.

Looking at the glasses the Slaver had sat out, I was faced with a dilemma.

"Any ideas as to how I am supposed to carry all of this?" I said, hoping Mokuba would have a helpful suggestion.

I could almost feel the burn of a smile coming from behind me, so I turned around. When I saw Mokuba's grin, I had to ask, "What?"

He grin remained plastered on while he brought a tarnished silver disk into view.

"I quit," I stated when I saw the serving tray. "I won't do it."

"You will be fine. This is how real waiters do it."

"Have you forgotten that I'm not a real waiter, and that there are monsters on the other side of that door? Where did you even find that?"

"It was under one of these boxes. I think the Slaver laid it out for you."

"Where does he even come up with these ideas? A party with servers? He is a _playing card. _How does he even know about this stuff?"

"I have been thinking about just that. The whole thing just feels too human. I just thought it would be more bizarre, you know?"

I nodded. "I'm not using the tray."

"Then how will you carry the cups?" Mokuba asked with his supposed logic.

"With my hands," I stated.

"And carry two at a time? Just use the tray."

I weighed the options. If I were to use the tray, I would feel ridiculous, and likely spill the cups within moments. If I tried to go without the tray, the Slaver might send me back immediately to grab it. Either way, I would be stuck with it.

Without saying anything, I took the tray from Mokuba. I ignored his smug expression as I walked back to the blood vats. I laid the cursed thing aside and began to pour out cups.

I approximated that I would be able to carry around eight to ten at a time. At that rate, I would have to make five or six trips to give one cup to every beast out there. But then again, some of the monsters were in beast form, which meant that they would be unable to use the cups due to a lack of opposable thumbs. I had to assume that some of the monsters would be unable to change forms, like Kuriboh, so I could count them out of my list.

I nearly smiled when I realized how much I was analyzing the situation. I was bringing cups of blood into a room full of blood-thirsty creatures. _What could possibly go wrong in that scenario? _I thought bitterly.

I finished and stared down at what I had just done. But after looking at the glasses full of blood, I looked away. The only thing that made it somewhat easier was the knowledge that humans would not be drinking the contents of the containers. There were animals in the other room, not people. Even if they looked like humans, it was an illusion.

I set cups on the tray and tested picking it up. My worry was not that it would be too heavy, but unbalanced. The living room had been entirely full when I last was in there. If it still was that crowded, then the tray would be knocked over almost immediately.

After some experimenting, I got to the point where I could hold it in front of me and keep it relatively level.

"You don't want to hold it up above you? I would be really impressed!" Mokuba called out.

"I'm holding it like this," I said, turning around slowly to show him. I held the tray out in front of me with both hands.

"I still think you should do the one-handed thing above your head."

"I think you should stop trying to make this harder for me."

"Maybe you should lighten up before you have a heart attack."

I nearly continued, but I just pushed it aside. The entire thing was pointless and I wasn't in a mood to carry on.

"You do know I'm just trying to make you calm down, right? You never cared when I did it before," Mokuba said. One look at his face revealed what he was really feeling. The sarcasm was a facade. He was just as uncomfortable with our situation as I was.

"Things aren't the same as before."

"I'm trying. I know that we will never be able to go back, but I just feel like if we act like everything is okay, then maybe it will be. And if we could just pret-"

I couldn't let him continue. Before he completely broke down, I laid down the tray and wrapped my arms around him.

"Mokuba, I'm not through fighting to get our lives back. Once you are healthy, we will get out of here, away from all the monsters," I said with every last trace of confidence that I possessed. "This will not be our life."

When I pulled back, Mokuba took a deep breath. He rocked his head forwards and backwards a few times to calm himself down. "I believe you. Now go. If you don't, you might not have a life to change."

"I'll be in and out of here a lot. There are some thirsty beasts out there."

"Good luck," Mokuba said, and yet again picked up his knife to continue working.

I lifted up the tray and rebalanced it. I then walked to the door, pausing to shift the tray around so that I could twist the doorknob.

The party had picked up in the time in which I was gone. More of the Slaver's relatives had arrived in my absence. I could tell that some of the monsters had done as the Slaver requested and transitioned to the backyard. The distribution seemed almost even between the two locations. Most of the human beasts remained in doors while those who couldn't change went outdoors.

Their split made my task much simpler. Not only had the numbers thinned out some, but I now could stay inside and give glasses to those who were able to hold them.

A few of the monsters had been standing beside the kitchen entrance, and they grabbed cups without so much as looking in my direction. Two more steps in and the tray was emptied. It came as no surprise. I had assumed that the first serving would be short.

I went back into the kitchen to grab more of the cups I had already filled. This time, I felt more comfortable with the tray, so I made the number of cups an even ten.

"That was fast," Mokuba stated.

"The reason why real parties have more that one server," I explained.

And again I left the kitchen. The precess repeated several more times. With every round, I noticed that more and more cups were piling up on the floors around the room. Many of them had yet to be emptied when they were cast down, further ruining the carpets. That only concerned me because I didn't want the Slaver to get the idea that I needed to clean it.

By the time half of the room had drinks, I reached the Slaver. He and three other monsters were speaking as I came up with the red beverages. They took the remaining four cups from me, and I turned to get more.

But the Slaver stopped me. "Cousins, this is my new slave."

Hands appeared to spin me until I faced them again. I stared at the Slaver while the three monsters examined me. One of them tried to grab hold of my face, but I leaned out of his grasp. My eyes stayed locked with the Slaver.

"He is very different from the others," one of them said.

"The others did not last," the Slaver said. "I am searching for different."

"And he doesn't seem afraid of you," another said.

"I only acquired possession of him yesterday. He will learn shortly enough."

"Is he always this silent?" the last asked.

"Yes. He does not speak."

The two of the monsters that I could see in my peripheral vision smiled.

"So you could say or do anything to him and he won't respond to it?" the same beast as before said.

I did not get a positive feeling about where this conversation was leading to. I wanted to go back to the safety of the kitchen, but two of the monsters took side steps to place themselves partially behind me.

"In theory. I have yet to find an opportunity to test him."

I broke contact with the Slaver when I noticed it. The cup in the hand of the monster I could still see moved slightly higher, and I knew what was coming. I glanced down to see the positions of the feet surrounding me. There was nowhere to run.

"So, if we were to do this-"

I didn't pay attention to the speaker. I bowed my head and squeezed my eyes and mouth closed just before I felt it hit me. From all sides, the blood I had just served splattered against my body. The demon in front of me had thrown the contents of his cup directly in the direction of my face, soaking my hair and skin.

"-will he react?"

I breathed our heavily through my nose to try to break through the stream of blood pouring down my face. I placed the tray under an arm so that I would be able to bring both hands up to wipe some of the blood away from my eyes. I used both my fingers and the backs of my hands before I opened my eyes.

Everyone near enough to see what happened was watching, waiting for my response. The anticipation was thick around me. The monsters wanted a show.

I wanted to give them one. I wanted to take the tray and use it to decapitate the beasts who had drenched me in blood. After I did that, I would make the Slaver drink the blood from his relatives' heads, since he was so fond of the liquid. I wanted them all dead, even the ones who hadn't taken part in trying to break me. Once they were dead, I wanted to take Mokuba far away and become a vegetarian.

But just thinking of Mokuba reminded me of my situation. I couldn't do anything, not now at least. I was a slave. I would stay calm and quiet for Mokuba. Any form of retaliation would get me killed. I would not let him be alone in this new world.

The Slaver was watching me, smiling as his head leaned to the side. I bit down on my tongue to distract my anger long enough that I could give the Slaver a small nod.

His grin grew brighter as he realized that I was giving in to him. With a shooing hand gesture, he dismissed me.

I had to push my way through the monsters who chose not to move aside. They laughed at my condition, making me grow more angry. I took deep breaths until I was back inside the kitchen, where I immediately went to the sink.

"Seto, did you spill it?"

I stuck my head down under the faucet and turned the water on. Scrubbing at my face, I tried to force my anger away. I was shaking. My hands were clenching into fists, which made washing off difficult.

Even once the water rolling off my head ran clear, I stayed under a while longer. The feeling of blood on my skin refused to leave me. I felt disgusting.

When I finally leaned up, the state of my shirt caught my eye. The once-white shirt stuck to my chest. There would be no saving the shirt. It wasn't as though I cared about it, but I had little faith the Slaver would give me a clean one. Wearing the blood covered one for much longer might cause me to lose control.

"Mokuba, I need you to calm me down," I said slowly.

He needed no reason. "I cut my finger, but I can't get to the sink to wash it."

"How badly is it cut?" I asked. I walked over and pulled the knife away from Mokuba to examine both of his hands. I found the cut and held it closer to my face so that I could see how deep it was.

"I don't think it was too bad. It clotted a few minutes ago," Mokuba said.

"It still needs to be washed. Who knows what kind of germs are in this room and on the meat?"

I went over to the glasses and found one that I hadn't filled with blood. I took it to the sink and rinsed it out thoroughly, then filled it with water. There was no soap, which meant we wouldn't really be able to clean it out.

It was halfway through trying to sanitize my brother's hand that I remembered that I was covered in blood. My concern for Mokuba's well-being had been the perfect distraction.

"Thank you."

Mokuba smiled. "I figured that I could awaken your motherly instincts."

"Motherly?" I questioned.

"Seto, I will probably never walk again and you are worrying over a small nick on my finger."

"Fine, then you can finish washing your own hand," I said, dropping Mokuba's hand.

"Good. Now while I do this, you tell me what happened."

I turned around and leaned back on the island beside him. I crossed my arms and watched him work while I spoke. "They were trying to get me to talk."

"So they knocked your tray over?" Mokuba asked.

"No, they took their glasses and poured it on me."

Mokuba looked up at me in shock. "And you said nothing? What happened to my real brother?"

"Like I said, nothing is really the same anymore. I think I've changed during all this."

"Clearly," Mokuba murmured. He then shook his head with a laugh, but didn't say what brought it on.

"What's funny?"

"I just tried to imagine what would have happened if someone poured coffee on you back at KaibaCorp."

"Fired, blacklisted, and on the streets," I answered.

"And you just walked away from this one? That just won't do," Mokuba said.

"You wanted to me do something about it?" I asked.

"I want you to go out there now and do something about it," Mokuba said. "Otherwise, I am going to start thinking less of you."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh really?"

"Yes. Go be Seto Kaiba, would you?"

The Slaver's voice drifted into the room from the adjoining one. Mokuba and I both stopped talking to listen.

"If you would, proceed to the back. Our entertainment is about to begin!"

"What do you think it is?" Mokuba asked. "I am going to bet against it being a band."

"I'm going to find out," I said. I pushed myself into a standing position and grabbed the tray again. I didn't bother filling it up as I had the times before. I just placed a few glasses on the top to give the appearance that I was actually doing as I was told.

"I will be back shortly," I said just before leaving the room.

Nearly no monsters were left in the living room. The few that were seemed to be unconscious on the floor, covered in their own blood. I walked by them to the back door that stood open.

The swarm of monsters seemed to be around the metal device which I had been unable to identify earlier. From where I stood, I could not see what it was that they were doing with it. But that had to be their entertainment, and I had to know what it was that monsters did for amusement.

I walked around the edges of the crowd going unnoticed. The only time in which I drew any attention was when I stumbled over a built in sprinkler that was hidden by the uncut grass. But even then, only a few beasts looked, and they quickly went back to the device.

Since no one was looking at me, I put the tray down in the corner of the yard beside the shed. From there, I used the wooden beams supporting the fence to climb up to where I could see over the heads of the monsters.

The fire had been lit. Hanging above the fire was a cage suspended on the metal contraption. The cage was large, large enough to hold the girl inside.

She had climbed the sides of the cage to get further away from the fire. Even from a distance, I could see her panic. Her mouth was moving, most likely in a vain attempt to beg the monsters around her. Her fingers clutched the metal bars of the cage to hold herself up, and her bare feet were trying to find a hole to support her.

The monsters around the cage were all cheering. Several tried to shake her off the edges to where the flames would burn at her feet. They clawed at her hands, but she held on tightly.

As if that all wasn't a terrible enough sight, my breath caught in my throat the moment I saw her.

The girl was Tea.

I didn't know how they found her, or what the purpose of torturing her was. What I did know was that I had to get her out. I couldn't do anything about them drenching me in blood, but I could help her. I had to help her.

I dropped from the fence once I decided that I couldn't take anymore of the sight. I needed an idea to help her escape. But out here with all the noise from the monsters, I couldn't focus.

I ran back to the backdoor. Right as I reached it, I heard the Slaver's voice above all the rest. "The game goes as usual! If the girl can survive the heat for an hour, she goes free!"

There was no possible way she would make it that long. Eventually, she would lose her grip at the higher portions of the cage and fall to the base. By now, the temperature of the metal bars would be hot enough to burn her body. She would be cooked alive in that cage.

"Mokuba!" I called once in the kitchen, not bothering to stay quiet. He looked up at me and asked, "What was it?"

"They have Tea in a cage over a fire. They are going to leave her in there until she burns to death," I said quickly.

"You have to do something," Mokuba said.

"I don't know what I can do. The entire swarm of monsters is surrounding her. Even if I could get close, I wouldn't be able to get her out. Help me think of something."

Mokuba put his elbows on the counter top and buried his face in his hands. While he thought, I began to pace back and forth to think of something, anything that might possibly work.

"First thing is clearing out the backyard. What can you use to get rid of the monsters?"

I began processing everything I had seen around the house and in the backyard. I ran through the day's events in my mind to try and figure out what could be used to empty the yard. Nothing in the bedroom, nothing in the kitchen, nothing in the living room. What was in the backyard? I recalled all the time I had spent out there. I went through the memories of cleaning it out, and just the few minutes prior when I had seen Tea.

"Sprinklers," I said. "The yard has them built in."

Mokuba pulled his hands away from his face. "Okay, but that isn't enough. They might not care about a bit of water."

"There is nothing else."

Mokuba looked around the kitchen. He seemed to have an idea when he looked at the stove.

"Does that work?" He asked.

I ran over to it and turned the knob to turn on the stove top. The red light came on, signaling that it did work.

"Find something flammable," Mokuba directed.

"You want me to burn down the house?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No, I want you to set something in the living room on fire. Make it something that they will be able to see from outside. Then once the sprinklers come on, the few that come inside will call in the others to put out the fire. Now go!"

I jerked open the doors on all the cupboards. Most of them sat empty, and the few that did have something inside were useless to me.

I turned around to tell Mokuba that I found nothing, but then I saw all the boxes. They were cardboard, and that would burn easily.

"Where is an empty box?" I asked.

Mokuba leaned down and slid the one next to his feet over to me. I grabbed it and tore it apart on my way back to the oven. I took the pieces that weren't damp with meat juices and held them against the eye I had turned on.

My foot tapped nervously while I waited for it to catch fire. Enough time hadn't passed for it to heat up fully, and every second in here was another that might lead to Tea's death.

When it began to smoke, I prepared to run back out to the living room. My heart was pounding loud enough that it echoed inside my head as a constant reminder that I was in a rush. I couldn't slow down, not even in my thoughts. My adrenaline was in high effect, making the world around me seem to be moving in slow motion.

Flames burst out onto the cardboard. I jumped slightly in reaction, but immediately sprinted for the door. I only stopped long enough to tell Mokuba, "If flames start coming in here, get out. I don't care how. Don't die."

"Go!" He shouted and I obeyed.

The monsters in the living room were still unconscious, so there would be no one to stop me from burning something. The only thing in the room I thought would work was the couch, so I held the flames against its surface until the fire spread to the fabric. Then without wasting a second, I ran out the front door.

I considered setting the door on fire, but I needed the monsters to be able to get out. But when they got out, I wanted another problem to face them. There were bushing lining the walls of the house, so I set them on fire as well. Then the mail box. And for good measure, I threw the fire I had been carrying on the ground, hoping that that too would erupt in flames.

I moved as quickly as I could through the house and to the backyard. The fire on the couch hadn't quite taken over yet, and I silently urged it on. I didn't have time to help it on anymore.

Again, none of the monsters focused on me. So that left me free to walk along the edges of the house looking for the sprinkler system. There had to be a way to flip them all on manually.

It was dark, so I relied heavily on my hands to feel for the box. When I finally came to it, I ran my hands over the surface looking for a way to open it. I found the latch and pulled the cover off entirely. I moved closer to it so that I could see the button and switches. I couldn't read the labels, so I flipped and pressed all of them.

It worked. All of the sprinklers embedded into the ground immediately came to life. The monsters' reactions were more delayed. But once the water began to break up their group, confusion broke out. They started in every direction. Some looked for the source of the water while others ran indoors to get away from it. Several stayed at the cage to continue in their entertainment.

I couldn't stay still. Eventually, they would find me standing near the box and discover what happened. So I went back to the shed where I had left the tray. That at least would give me some cover while I waited for the crowd to thin out enough for me to get to Tea.

Then the thought came to me that the cage was probably locked. Without a key, all I had just done would be for nothing. I had to find something to break the lock.

I walked inside the shed. Luckily, the Slaver never bothered emptying it. I felt around for anything that might work, and the first thing I came across was a shovel. With the proper amount of force, the lock could break off. It would be noisy, but maybe if the monsters were distracted inside, they would forget about the girl in the cage.

I slipped back into the yard holding the shovel in my hands. The numbers of monsters had certainly decreased, but there were still too many to get through. I waited impatiently to see if my plan had worked.

"Fire!" Came a cry from inside. Heads turned to the house, and the monsters began to rush back inside. Screams were coming from the house, and I hoped that they had begun to try to leave, only to find the fires in the front yard.

I moved along the boundaries of the yard to try to get behind the wave of monsters leaving the area. The sprinklers hadn't been turned off, but I could see that several had been pulled from the ground. Water still gushed from the places where the sprinkler heads once were. But even with all the water flowing through the yard, the fire underneath Tea was still burning.

I couldn't wait any longer. I ran over to the cage, not taking the time to glance inside the house.

"Kaiba?" Tea said.

I didn't answer her. I took the shovel and slammed the blade against the lock to no avail.

"Please hurry, I can't do this much longer," she said.

I held back a sharp response about her not needing to tell me to hurry. Instead, I repeated the action of hitting the lock. Again, nothing happened.

"They just grabbed me off the street. I was getting groceries and I think it was the Flame Swordsmen who grabbed me. Then he took me to the one with the tall hat-"

I stopped hitting the lock. I glared up at Tea and said, "Be quiet."

She closed her mouth and I swung at the lock again. I knew that with every hit, I was shaking the cage, threatening to knock her down, but I couldn't stop. I didn't even pause to wipe the water from my eyes. I put everything that I had into the momentum behind each swing.

I realized that I was getting nowhere. Within moments, someone would see or hear me out here. But I couldn't get up the strength to swing any harder, and having blisters covering my hands didn't make it any easier.

"Why are you covered with blood?" She asked.

And then my anger resurfaced. I swung with all my fury towards the Slaver for kidnapping my brother and I, and for killing the doctor. I swung for his so-called relatives pouring blood on me. All of the events that had happened over the past week came to the forefront of my thoughts, and the end of the shovel collided with everything I had.

The door opened.

"They just saw you," Tea said.

I pulled the door further open, ignoring the burns appearing on my hands. Tea quickly jumped out the door and to the ground. She was shaky, but I didn't give her time to rest.

"Come with me," I said.

We both ran to the nearest edge of the yard. I helped her climb the fence as I had done earlier, pushing her upwards until she was over the top.

"Run!" I shouted.

I needed to make sure the flames hadn't gotten to Mokuba, so I turned to run back to the house. I spun around just in time to see the head of the shovel swinging towards my face.

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Phew. That was a long chapter. Let me know what you think!

-**What's on my blog**- I have my discussion about the chapter, along with the list of favourite quotes from the whole story. I also put up the results from the POV poll.


	19. Nineteen

REVIEW RESPONSES: (It has been so long you may need to go re-read your review. . . sorry about that.)

**TeresaShiho**: I'm so glad you liked it. I had been waiting so long to get to that scene. Want to know a secret? I liked what I did to Tea too. Haha. But I do think that I need to lay off Seto's face for a while. The poor boy has gone through enough facial damage (and I do love his face. . . ). And I had this plan for how the chapter was going to line up with the last one, but then once I started writing it, I realized that I had to cover two days. Phew. That's a long time for one chapter. So I cut it short.

**Stormygio:** I feel bad you had to wait so long for an update. Unfortunately, I have yet to nail down a consistent updating schedule. But Haha- I love how all of my readers have the questions and ideas about the story. It makes me very happy. I can't answer many of them though. . . Here is what I can answer! The Flame Swordsman is in the Slave Industry! You were right on that. 500 exp? Phew. I needed that for my level-up.

**ZQuill: **I thought the Slaver seemed like he was getting a bit soft. A good murder or two can make anyone evil. And of course the morse code was coming back! (Okay. . . I hadn't planned on it coming back when I put it in there. But I'm glad I did!) And I decided to make the Slaver's house messy because, let's be honest, I don't see him spending time on house work, and he can't keep slaves longer than a few days. So there would be no one to clean it. And I love Seto's face. It kills me to injury him, but in this case, it just had to happen. I just needed the boy to be unconscious. A hit to the kidney just won't accomplish that.

**Theepitomeofrandom:** Haha- of course the Magician had reason! Wouldn't you get annoyed if every time you were trying to talk to someone, they turned into a different person? And how would the monsters know all about the Items?

**Lace Kyoko:** I loved the image of Seto beating on that lock. It is sexy indeed. And I do abuse his face quite a bit. . . let's hope our dear Seto has some fast reflexes so he can turn his head in time.

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination:** He is Seto freaking Kaiba. And I'm sorry I didn't update sooner! I got into this horrible habit of writing one or two lines a day. I got major writer's block. Even now, I'm writing these review responses instead of the chapter.

**Everwild:** You know what I need to stop doing? Waiting a month between updates. That is worse than the cliff hanger! (To me, at least)

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**Author's Note**: You guys, if you haven't voted in my poll, do it. The results are so close. Seriously. Also, after this chapter – **get this** – I have just three chapters until the end of Part One. Whoa. Also, I hate my summary of this story. If you would like to try to write a better one, please do.

–_**And**_ remember how I use to recommend stories in every chapter? I'm going to do that occasionally when I find some good ones. This time, it's "_Dear Mokuba_," by Bounced. Basically showing Mokuba more grown up and dealing with Gozaburo alone. And then there is the part of the story with Seto having written Mokuba some letters . . . Just read it. I'm obsessed!

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**Krin**

"Have you finished?"

Approaching Seto, it was apparent that he was deep in thought, as he stared forward blankly. His eyes seemed to be glazed, as if he wasn't fully present. What had the Slaver said to him?

"I will soon have everything I need," the Slaver said, smiling. The grin was far too bright to not have cause. There was a certain edge behind his words that could not be placed. He adjusted his hat cockily as he stepped closer to the roof, preparing to leave.

"Now I shall be going. I have to meet up with the Magician and his troops to discuss housing his slave while they are all marching. I am now late to my job as a glorified babysitter," he said.

"While they march?"

The Slaver waved his hand dismissively. "Yes. They have been mobilizing all morning."

The sound of Griggle hitting the roof echoed through the air. Kisara, who had been hugging the healer, must have picked up on the traces of dishonesty within his words, but also the evident truth. His words were interlaced with the two, making it impossible to distinguish which parts were real.

"Where?"

He answered after a moment's hesitation, "At the square across town. It is the only location large enough to hold them all."

The Slaver turned to give a straight stare. Had he meant to reveal that information, or had it simply slipped out without his realizing? If what he had just said was true, then telling the Magician's enemies would be a mistake worthy of death. His race was a neutral one. By picking a side, he would lose his neutral status, making him a part of the upcoming war.

The Dark troops couldn't be moving at this time. The Sun still shone bright above, meaning that the Magician and his kind should be hidden. Coming out during the day hours would break the unspoken truce. How could that portion of his words be truth?

"They are moving out during the day?"

"Yes, and I really should be going. I do not have much longer to delay," the Slaver said as he walked towards the roof once more.

"Wait for a moment."

Signaling Kisara that a discussion needed to occur, Seto was left behind, still staring blankly ahead. Kisara stepped closer to me so that the Slaver would be unable to overhear.

"He is lying," she whispered.

"About what part?"

Kisara rolled her shoulders back uncomfortably. "I don't know. Just part of it. Do you really believe that the Magician would march during the day?"

"No, I don't. Not unless this is an attack."

"Why would they attack during the day?"

"To catch us off-guard?" She suggested.

"We have to go see what they are doing."

"We can't leave Seto," Kisara insisted.

"Could you stay with Seto?" was redirected to the Slaver, who shook his head. "As I said, I must go to the Magician to deal with his slave. I am afraid I do not have the time for yours as well." The Slaver continued to walk away.

"So you would rather help the Dark than us?"

The Slaver paused, weighing his options. He pressed his lips into a tight line and then answered, "Of course not. I simply already had arrangements set in place."

"Then stay here. We won't be out that long."

"Very well," he said, sounding defeated.

"Then I can go get Mokuba while we are out!" Kisara exclaimed. She had evidently forgotten her concerns over leaving Seto. She jumped back and prepared to change.

Light burned the air. The whiteness eliminated all traces of the rest of the world. As the column ascended into the air, it seemed as though it was trying to return home to the Sun.

The light not only changed the outside, but the inside form. Bones developed and grew, muscles became larger and stronger, skin expanded and turned to scales, returning to the figure of a dragon. Power arose in the greatest form. It buried itself shallowly, always ready to be drawn upon when needed.

My claws scraped the roof, searching for a footing to prepare for a spring into flight. Kisara's wings were already spread to their full extent. Kisara stalled before taking off, lowering her head to rub against Seto's face. His hands lifted in attempted to push her back, but the result was futile. Kisara was far larger than the small human. She was also wasting time.

Static hummed in the air around Kisara. She was conveying her readiness to leave. With a jump to start, the ground drifted further below.

Both pairs of wings beat against the wind. It blew in a opposing direction. It would affect how much time it would require to get to the square. Was that the reason the Dark chose to assemble in that location?

After traveling half the distance, Kisara sent out a second wave of static. It pointed to the left, where upon close examination, Kara could be seen approaching. She was early. When she had left that morning, she had predicted returning around sun down. Something must have occurred at the mountain.

Kara joined into the flight without questioning the destination. But her small electric bursts along with her eyes glancing around asked Seto's location. That would have to be answered once on the ground. Even there she would have to wait for an answer. If the Dark troops had been gathering all morning, a fight would most certainly lie ahead.

The square was empty. Shifting into her human form, Kisara asked, "Krin, is this the right place?"

The smell of weaker creatures lingered in the air. There were none to be seen, but their scent was evident. Aside from those traces, there had been no other beings in the area.

"They aren't here."

"So what is going on?" Kisara asked. Here eyes were wide in confusion as she observed the scene around her.

"Why are the two of you here and not with the boy we just got back?" Kara questioned.

"The Slaver said that the Dark troops had been gathering here."

"Well clearly that isn't true," Kara muttered.

"Seto!" Kisara exclaimed. She jumped back to create space enough for her to change back into her true form. Within moments, all three of us were in the air.

Had the Slaver lied? His words had held a manner of truth when he spoke. Perhaps if he had been convinced of the lie, it would be read as truth. Why would the Slaver need to lie? The only thing he could gain by it was to get Seto alone. Even if that was the case, what would he want with the slave?

Static came from Kara. Her head gestured to the ground. There marched what appeared to be a vast majority of the Dark troops, traveling towards the square. That could explain the reason that the Slaver's words had not come across as being fully honest. The timing of his story was wrong.

To signal Kara and Kisara down, bursts of electricity shot out from my claws. Instantly understanding, they began to descend to a portion of the street in front of the troops. The Magician held up a hand to stop the march when we landed.

In a flash of light, all stood in human form.

"Krin! Did you finally decide that you are ready for war?" The Magician called out.

"You seem ready enough. Is this the army you bragged about?"

The army behind the Magician shifted angrily. Their posture showed that they were eager for battle. With the war lingering in the minds of all species, the pressure had built up. There would be no delaying it longer.

"You're being a bit arrogant, aren't you? There are only three of you."

Kara snorted. "Are you saying that we aren't strong enough to kill your little-" she waved her hand in the Dark troops direction as she searched for a word, "-subordinates?"

"Come on, sweetheart, even you aren't that strong."

Kisara was tapping her foot nervously. She glared when two sets of static shot at her to tell her to stop. The Magician would read her anxiety as fear of him. He would not realize that she had one human on her mind.

"You must be confident to come out during the day."

The Magician shrugged and planted his staff on the ground to lean against it. "I thought we had an agreement. Your kid in exchange for you leaving the city."

"I told you that you would be unable to enforce that."

"I'm about to force it now. Get out."

Quiet filled the streets. No one spoke as the stand off between the two opposing sides took place. The Magician was waiting to see if we would actually follow his direction to leave. We could not let the Dark believed that they had control of the city. If they controlled the city, they controlled the portal back to the other world. The very thought was unacceptable.

"Why are you out here?" Kara asked.

"Why are you in the city?" The Magician countered.

"You said be out by sunset," Kara said.

"Just stop it!" Kisara exclaimed, bringing the gazes of everyone to her. She had taken all off guard. Her fingers clenched in frustration as she continued, "Just tell us where you are going and we can be on our way!"

"Kisara," Kara growled quietly.

"Now baby, you know our relationship doesn't work like that."

Black strands of his magic began to grow from the staff the Magician held. In a similar manner, Red's hands were beginning to glow with his fire. Kisara was not the only one losing patience with the stand off.

"Last chance," the Magician said.

Kara's static hit with a silent communication of a plan. The street lamps running along the length of the street pulsed once, then a soft crackle came from a red, metal object in front of one of the buildings. Underneath the object, water could be detected flowing. Kara had worked out how to take down the largest portion of the Dark troops.

Kisara's fingers were moving quickly as she counted out the number of enemies. She quickly sent a series of static lines to tell us the number. With just under a hundred soldiers, the Magician had no chance.

"Now," Kara whispered.

The two of us pulled our hands back and sent waves of lightning down the street. We each took one of the sides, directing the lighting towards the base of the lamps. When it hit, the lamps exploded, sending sparks over the heads of the Dark troops.

While the Dark troops were trying to get away from the electricity, Kisara threw a bolt to the red object. When she hit it, water erupted out the top. The water flowed onto the street, which Kara promptly hit with another round of lightning.

The troops that had been in human form jumped back into their true figures. Those who were unable to change, were trapped on the ground unless they had wings. Red and the Magician had been standing out in front of the wave, so they were unharmed.

The Magician planted his feet and threw his black magic ahead. Red had switched to being a dragon and he flew above the heads of his allies that were being cooked on the ground below. His mouth opened wide as a stream of fire shot out in our direction. Kisara and my hands flew into the air to counter with our white lightning. The collision of forces sent both fire and lightning flying across the battlefield. The light that was created was even too much for my eyes to handle.

"Everyone stop!" Kisara shouted. She sent out lightning to separate the two sides of the fight.

"What?" Red hissed when he switched back to a human.

"We are here because we were told that you were here," Kisara stated.

The Magician and Red glanced at each other. The Magician's staff was extended towards Kisara, as if waiting for some trick. Their mouths moved quickly, speaking words that could not be heard. But from the expressions on their faces, the topic of discussion was evident.

"Who told you that?" Red asked.

Understanding of what Kisara was thinking came to me then. With her focus on Seto, she had looked past the scene in front of her and figured out what had happened.

"The same person who told you we were here?"

The Magician lowered the staff. He turned to Red to say, "We left the base empty," in a voice that was just audible from the distance.

Red shook his head. "We left him there."

"Left who there?" Kisara shouted.

"The Slaver," the Magician said.

How had the Slaver ended up at the Dark's headquarters? He was supposed to be on the roof with Seto. If he wasn't there, then what had he done with Seto?

Kisara looked horrified. She turned and glared in my direction. She understood the same thought. Leaving Seto with the Slaver had been a mistake.

The Magician turned to the remaining troops behind him and shouted out the order to go back to the headquarters. He too must have understood what had happened. The Slaver had tricked us all. What exactly his plan was, that was unclear, but he had played us.

Kisara wasted no more time before shifting and jumping back into the air. She didn't wait to see if we followed.

We quickly traveled to the rooftop. Kisara changed back into a human before even touching down on the roof. She jerked her head around quickly, searching for the slave.

"Seto!" She screamed, running to the doorway that hung open. There was nowhere to hide on the roof, so that only left the inside of the building to look. But the Slaver and Seto were nowhere to be seen. Traces of their scent still lingered in the air, but none came from the inside.

"Sister," Kara said, walking to Kisara. "They aren't here."

"They have to be here! We can't lose Seto again!"

"He is gone, Kisara."

Kisara spun around and pointed a finger in my direction. "You said that we could trust him. You convinced me to leave my Seto here. What were you thinking?" She spat, repeating the words that had been spoken to her the first time Seto had disappeared.

"I was thinking that we are in a war."

"How can you focus on a war when Seto keeps vanishing?" Kisara screamed. She tangled her fingers in her hair in her desperation. Her pain was understandable. The drawing pressure weighed down on us all being separated from the boy.

"We will find him," Kara stated. Her words came across more harshly than she might have meant for them to. Like Kisara, she was blaming me for letting the Slaver take Seto. The blame was mine. Because of that, finding the boy would become the first priority.

"Where would the Slaver be?"

Kisara glanced over. "Does anyone know that?"

"Not to my knowledge, but we have to find out."

"Thank you for that brilliant plan, Krin. Any ideas as to where we should start searching for someone who has lived in secret for the past year?" Kara said.

"Where is Griggle?"

Both Kisara and Kara seemed to just realize that healer was missing as well. They whipped their heads around, searching over the surface of the roof, as if they had overlooked him. Kara took a deep breath, trying to find his scent. It, like Seto's and the Slaver's, was faintly lingering in the air.

"Will he know where Seto is?" Kisara asked hopefully.

"Most likely he won't, but he may have seen something helpful."

Kisara groaned. "I want Seto now."

"Then we should go find him."

Jumping into the air once more, we transformed back into dragons. The wind carried us in the direction of the known Earth center. It was there that Kara found the healer earlier on in the day, which made it likely that he would have traveled back home after leaving the roof.

The Sun was steadily falling towards the horizon. There were few hours left in the day, and it might not be enough time to find the boy before night took over. During the day, allies stood around every corner. Staying out at night would leave no back up in the case of an attack.

The thought of a bomb stayed ever present. According to Seto's brother, only eight days remained until the human government would being their fight against us. Locating Seto had to happen before the humans had chance to act. Kisara would never leave without her new toy. Of course, getting myself to leave might prove difficult. Already the pulling had begun. It sent pangs through my thoughts, soft, but still present. Seto was still close.

Flying covered great distances very quickly. After only a few minutes, the Earth centers came into view. The descent came rapidly with Kisara flying out ahead. She was moving far faster than her usual pace. She to must have recognized the serious threat of not finding Seto in time.

On the ground, we returned to a human state. The unfortunate problem with human designs was the small sizes of all their creations. The majority of our kind would never deal with changing shapes if the city was built larger. Getting inside the buildings and homes was impossible without changing. That was the one area in which smaller beings had the advantage. Although they could not shift forms, they had no need to.

"Is this where he is?" Kisara asked.

"He hasn't arrived," Kara stated.

Kara was right. No traces of him could be detected within the air. He couldn't have had the time already to traverse the distance from the rooftop to his home. Our flight reduced the time, even though we had stopped three times since leaving.

"But he has to be here right now or we won't find Seto!"

"Kisara!"

Kisara dropped her head. Her fingers drew outlines of unknown objects. She seemed to be recalling some memory, but of what went unclear. Leaving her to that might keep her more calm.

Kara chose to enter the building anyway. The Griggle would arrive eventually and when that happened, we would be ready for him.

Griggle's home was filled with his relatives who bore a striking resemblance to the healer. None of them were powerful enough to be anything aside from their true form. Because of that, a translator would be be needed in order to speak with Griggle. To find a translator, we would have to go to another location.

The Earth beings slid to the back of the room upon our entrance. It was a common reaction that nearly went unnoticed. Kara's throat produced a low rumble in irritation as she leaned against the wall beside the door to wait. Kisara joined her in ignoring the little relatives of the healer.

The waiting began. After several minutes of remaining still, the Earth beings began to go about their business. They picked up on the knowledge that we were not there to harm them, so they grew more comfortable. Under any other circumstance, they would not have gotten away with such boldness. But being here was not about showing power, it was the search for a kidnapped slave.

When Griggle finally entered, Kisara jumped out at him.

"Did you see what happened to Seto?" She exclaimed.

Griggle was unable to answer specifically, but he nodded his head. Kisara seemed to not understand that he could not speak, as she said, "Where is he?"

"Sister, we need a translator."

"Take us to someone who can speak," Kisara said harshly. She then marched over to the healer and started to push him back out the door which he just entered. Following behind, we had to walk to keep pace with Griggle. Kara and Kisara's frustration with the slow speed was evident, as it closely reflected my own.

Conveniently, the distanced that had to be traveled was fairly short. Most of the members of the Earth family lived in a close proximity to one another. Griggle entered a building and we walked passed him.

Once in the building, irritation traveled through the air. The Magician, Red, and Kuriboh stood across the room, speaking the the Earth men we had come for. They paused their conversation to glace over, and the Magician groaned.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. As he spoke, all who stood on that half of the room turned to face the three of us. When Kisara saw Kuriboh, she growled darkly.

"I don't see how that is your business," Kara stated. She crossed her arms and faced Red. He mimicked her position and angry expression.

"Go away, we are busy," the Magician said.

"We are not here to speak with you, so this will not effect you."

Red leaned his head over to look at Griggle's small form standing near to the door. "Why is he here?"

"You brought your furball; we brought ours," Kara said with a broad gesture to Kuriboh. The action drew a low growl from his throat, which might have been threatening to a rodent. It came across as more amusing than frightening.

Giggle made a small noise that attracted the attention of his relatives. Half of them were human and the others were clearly too weak to be able to shift forms. They carried on a conversation in a language unknown.

"You," Kisara said, pointing to one in human form. "Translate, now."

When he did not immediately begin to speak, Kara let a small amount of lightning slip out of her hand. The bolt hit the floor beside his feet, causing him to jump away. Her threat was successful, as words began to spill out quickly.

"He said that your boy was taken by the Slaver, who seemed to be in a rush."

"Anything else?"

"Just that the boy went with him willingly."

Kara and Kisara turned to me, eyes wide in shock. To the best of our knowledge, Seto had no connection to the Slaver. There was no reason for him to willingly go along with Trap Master. Seto's actions all seemed to revolve around his brother, and they were not without consideration. He must have had a reason.

"Where is Seto's brother?"

Kuriboh growled at his spot beside the Magician. The Magician himself rolled his eyes upwards and spun his staff around, throwing it over his shoulder. His lips into a tight line, and with that came understanding.

"The Slaver took him as well."

"Why would the Slaver want both of them?" Kisara asked.

Kara sent Kisara a expression as if to say, "You want both of them."

"Where is the Slaver?" Red asked.

No one answered. While the silence lingered, Kara sent waves of static in my direction. After glancing over at her, the same realization was reached. If the Slaver took both boys, then the Dark would be searching for him as well. They could not be allowed to find him first. Kuriboh held some grudge against Seto and letting him get near the slave was not an option.

We both sent static towards Kisara simultaneously, signaling her that it was time to leave. She didn't question us, but followed out the door.

Once we were a safe distance down the road, she stopped and asked, "What now?"

"We find Seto and Mokuba before they do," Kara answered.

"Where do we even start with that? No one knows where the Slaver lives!" Kisara exclaimed. She tapped her foot anxiously, as was a common habit of hers.

"Sister, stay calm. Someone must know where he lives. We will start by finding more of his relatives and seeing what information they can give us."

Kisara took a deep breath and nodded. "And where are the nearest relatives?"

"This entire block is his relatives."

We proceeded to the first building. We entered although we were unaware of who lived inside. No one in the city was able to defeat one of us, but with all three of us together, we had nothing to fear.

The room we entered was crowded with Venom Snakes. When they noticed our entrance, several hissed while others slid into the corners to create distance. There was no time to become caught in a power rush, as every second that we wasted in search was another that the Magician had to get closer to the Slaver.

The Venom Snakes were not powerful enough to shift forms, but they could understand what we said. As long as our questions were able to be answered with a yes or a no, there would be no issues with communicating.

"Do any of you know where the Slaver is?"

One of the snakes came forward and shook his head slightly. The other snakes in the room began to go about as they had been, realizing that we were not there to threaten.

"Do you know where he lives?"

Another negative answer.

"Have you seen him today?"

This time, the answer was yes. Kisara stepped forward and asked, "Did he have a boy with him? Tall, thin, brown hair, blue eyes-"

She stopped speaking when several of the snakes began to hiss as though they were laughing. Kara silenced them with a rapid series of lightning.

"You did see the boy?" Kisara repeated.

The snake we had been carrying on with nodded, but immediately after, his eyes traveled to the door behind us. The three of us turned just in time to hear, "Krinny, you thought to come here too?"

"We are just leaving," Kara stated. Kisara opened to mouth to protest, but a quick clearing of my throat kept her quiet. We had gotten all the information that we could from the snakes, so there was no reason to stay any longer. We had to get ahead of the Magician.

There was no need to signal my sisters to leave. One glance and both of them were walking to the door.

"So now where do we go?" Kisara questioned once we were outside. We kept walking until we stood across the street from the Venom Snakes' home.

"The Slaver came through here, so maybe someone else saw him," Kara said.

"You want to just wander aimlessly asking after the Trap Master?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Kara asked.

"Maybe you should give up?"

Kisara groaned and turned around. "Are you following us or something?" She shouted at the Magician. He, Red, and Kuriboh had appeared just outside the doorway of the building we had previously been inside. They moved no closer, however. The distance would help prevent any attacks.

"Look sweetheart, we are both after the same thing. It makes sense that our paths are going to cross."

"Well go away," Kara muttered.

The Magician laughed. "Wasn't it our agreement for you to leave?"

"We aren't leaving without Seto."

"So let's find him," the Magician said, beginning to walk forward.

"Let's? You are not coming with us," Kara stated.

The Magician kept moving closer. He walked with his staff thrown over his shoulders and his arms hanging over the top. It was almost as if he was trying to prove that he was not acting in a threatening manner. With the staff in that position, he would have a difficult time trying to attack first.

"We are both looking for the Slaver. Even if you don't want to work with us, we are going to end up in the same places anyway," he said, finally coming to a stop just over an arm's reach away from Kisara.

"Are you offering to help?"

"Not help necessarily. But I have no interest in stopping to fight every time we end up near each other. Today is not the time to be caught up in a war."

If the thought of a bombing was not lingering in my mind, the offer would be answered with a white lightning attack. However, the Magician had a point about not wasting time. The Slaver had to know that he was being pursued. He was intelligent enough to understand his need to get out of the city. If he was allowed time to escape, Seto and his brother might be lost forever.

"Tag along if you wish, but if you interfere, I will kill you."

"I wouldn't consider it, Krinny," the Magician said, sending a fake smile my direction.

As the conversation faded, we all stood on the street and waited for someone to act. It quickly became apparent that no one had any ideas for the next course of action.

While waiting for a plan to form, the position of the Sun came to my attention. It seemed as though time was moving faster than all other days. Soon, the Sun would have completely set. When that happened, the Magician's power would increase greatly, as he would have the backing of the entire Dark force.

"We should just start walking," Kisara suggested.

With no better ideas, the small group set out walking down the street.

"So, Krin. You never did tell me how the boy escaped you in the first place," the Magician said. He moved until he walked along side my sisters and me. Red and Kuriboh followed closely behind.

"How is that your concern?"

"Curiosity. It fascinates me that one human could elude all three of you," the Magician said, sounding happier than he should have.

"Then you answer this for us, how did you get Seto? You wouldn't have known he was ours by just seeing him on the street," Kara said.

"He was given to me."

"By who?" Kisara questioned.

"The Slaver isn't as neutral as he claims to be," Red said.

"No, he fights evenly against both sides."

Kara looked over with my words. Her anger was still apparent through her eyes, but she seemed to be calming down. It was almost as though having the distraction of fighting with the Magician gone was helping her handle the situation.

Pulling away from the discussion, my thoughts began to process the new information. After Seto had escaped, the Slaver had been brought to bring him back. While on the roof, the Slaver talked to Mokuba, showing that he knew the boy. Then he found Seto and took him to the Dark headquarters instead of bringing him back. So at what point had he decided to take both of the boys for himself? If he wanted Seto then, he could have just taken him, not handed him off to someone else. Something had to have triggered his decision.

"Did you punish Seto's brother for running away?"

The Magician nodded at the out of place question. "I broke his ankle. Kid won't be walking any time soon."

That added to the time line. After Seto was returned, his brother was injured. Then the following morning, both boys were taken. Certainly the Slaver had no concerns over their health. There had to be something more behind it. Whatever the Slaver had in mind when he took the boys might be the key to finding them.

And finding Seto would be difficult. The Slaver would make sure of that. The Sun having just passed the horizon, making the chances of his discovery grow slimmer. The only small comfort that could be found in the situation was the slight nature of the pangs. Seto was still close. The Slaver had not taken him far away. As long as the pains were light, we could know that the slave was alive. We would find him. And when we did, the Slaver would die.

* * *

**Go to my blog for thoughts on this chapter. ** I've got several of them. Mainly, I'm so sorry you had to wait for half of a chapter. The next one will be better, honest.

I've got the whole excuse thing on my blog. (Link on my profile in case you didn't know). Also on there is a rant about something I noticed while wating the actual show, "Yu-Gi-Oh!"


	20. Twenty

**Bubbles: **I'm glad you caught onto that. It was one of the more important details in the chapter. It's going to be a big deal in Part Two. And I love the semi-truce. It was just difficult to write.

**Lace Kyoko:** Detail was what I was going for. So, that's good that you thought it was nice. I actually thought it was a bit lacking, for Krin, at least. Oh, and I watched a couple of the subbed episodes!

**Stormygio: **All of those questions will be answered below. Please enjoy reading from a normal POV. And this is a quick update for me! Haha.

**ZQuill:** You may end up doing more than wincing for the Slaver. . . That is, if you still feel sorry for him. And I did consider going deep into Krin's thoughts, but what I found was just facts. And the emotion you were supposed to be getting was very subtle. It was in there. Haha. And for your sake, I'm going to touch on who was swing the shovel. There are some things that will never be known.

**TeresaShiho: **I missed this story too. That chapter was so difficult to write. Why couldn't you people have voted for Kisara? That would have been easy to write. Haha. I like Red too. I didn't originally. And yes! Only three chapters left, including this one. I cannot believe it only took me two years! (That was sarcasm, in case you didn't notice) I haven't read the manga, but I did watch a couple episodes of the Japanese version. I actually enjoyed that one way more.

_**Author's Note: **_I've decided to keep the poll open until the end of Part One. So, for the few of you who have yet to vote, please do. It's still a close race.

* * *

**Seto**

"Seto? Seto?"

I couldn't stop the groan from escaping my lips as I tried to sit up. My head was pounding and the moment I lifted it partly, a wave of dizziness struck and I dropped down.

"Seto, are you okay?"

"Mokuba?"

When my head fell back down, I noted that it was a soft surface that I came into contact with. Because of that, I assumed that I was lying on the mattress in the room the Slaver assigned us. Something else I noticed was a warm, sticky substance covering my ear. I began to reach out a hand to see what it was that was on me, but my arm stopped halfway through the motion.

I opened my eyes to see the chain around my wrist. Giving it a weak tug, I decided that it would be going nowhere. The other end of the chain was attached to a bolt on the floor. However, also coming off the shackle was another, shorter length of chain that was connected to Mokuba's wrist. The Slaver had chained us together. I chose to ignore it for the time being.

I still wanted to know what it was that was on my head, so I used my other hand to feel around my ear.

"You're bleeding," Mokuba said. The worry that came through his words was apparent.

When I pulled my hand back, I saw that he was correct. Then I remembered the shovel swinging towards my face. My reaction to turn away from the impact must not have been fast enough.

"I'm tired of blood," I said while using my free hand to feel around the injury. For the most part, it felt like the cut had closed. I stopped messing with it so that I would not risk further hurting myself.

"Are you okay?" Mokuba asked again.

I rolled my head to the side to look at my brother. He was lying down beside me on the mattress, staring at me as if he had been terrified. I quickly scanned over him and was relieved to find no visible injuries.

"I'm fine. Did he hurt you?"

Mokuba shook his head. "The Slaver came into the kitchen and dragged me in here once the fires were put out. You were already here, unconscious." Mokuba paused before asking. "What happened?"

I closed my eyes and tried to bring back all the memories from the previous night. "I set the sprinklers off, then I found a shovel to break the lock on the cage. I got Tea out, but someone used the shovel to knock me out."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know, but I don't think it was the Slaver. I don't recall seeing his hat," I said.

"Do you mind if I look at your head?" Mokuba asked.

"Why?"

"To make sure you aren't going to bleed to death," Mokuba said.

I knew that Mokuba had no knowledge of injuries, but from the expression on his face, I could see his worry. Allowing him to look at it might make him feel better.

Instead of answering, I tilted my head towards him so that he had a clear view of the side. Just as I had done, he let his fingers feel around the area, searching for any place that might prove to be dangerous if left untreated. I knew he wouldn't find any blood flowing out, so I just waited until he felt more confident.

He never got to that point. His fingers stopped moving when a sound came from the other side of the door. There was no point in looking in the direction of the sound, so we looked at each other.

"Did that sound like lightning to you?" I asked.

Mokuba nodded. He opened his mouth, but didn't speak. A scream cut him off before he had the chance to begin.

"Was that the Slaver?" He asked.

Then we both turned to watch the door. There was something happening on the other side, and we both wanted to know what it was. Luckily, we didn't have to wait long.

The door opened and immediately I heard, "Seto!"

"Kisara?"

Kisara stood in the doorway. She didn't stay motionless for very long. She ran over, practically diving on the mattress when she grew close enough. She jumped between Mokuba and me and without hesitation, threw her hands around my head and pulled me up to meet her lips.

Since her kissing me was nothing new, I humored her. But after several uncomfortable seconds, Mokuba cleared his throat. Kisara still didn't stop. Once I began to lose breath, I lifted my free hand to gently push her away. When the gentle approach failed to work, I was left with no choice but to bite down on her tongue.

Kisara gasped and pulled back.

"I needed to breathe," I stated once I breathed a lungful of air.

The dragon moved one of her hands from my head. The one she moved came away covered in blood. A horrified expression appeared on her face. I watched as she shifted her gaze across my blood-soaked clothing.

"Why are you covered in blood?"

"It isn't mine," I said.

"Except for your head," Mokuba stated.

"Really, Mokuba?" I asked, trying to look at him. Kisara's hand stopped me.

"How did you find us?" I asked, switching the subject away from my injury.

"Well," she started. Her eyes traveled to the doorway and I followed the gaze. A second figure hovered in the space, watching.

Mokuba too had looked over, and I saw terror appear in his eyes. He moved towards me, although Kisara was still between us.

Kuriboh flew over and landed next to Mokuba. My brother closed his eyes and turned his head away so he wouldn't have to look at the beast, but Kuriboh began trying to get Mokuba's attention. He nudged his head and poked his shoulder with a claw, but Mokuba refused to even open his eyes.

"Why is Kuriboh here?"

Kuriboh started growling when I spoke. It hadn't been that long since last I saw him, but clearly he was still angry with me for having anything to do with Mokuba.

I saw Kisara bite down on her tongue before speaking. "It's not just him. The Magician and Red are here too."

"Don't you hate them?"

Kisara smiled and leaned down to kiss me on the nose. "You know me so well, Seto! Yes. But they wouldn't leave us alone."

Kuriboh growled and Kisara added, "And they managed to find someone who knew where the Slaver lives." There she paused and corrected herself. "Lived."

Mokuba opened his eyes then to speak to Kisara. "Was that past tense?"

She nodded. "What do you think the others are doing?"

Now that Mokuba was speaking, Kuriboh doubled his efforts to get Mokuba's attention. Instead of giving in to the small creature, Mokuba asked Kisara, "Do you think they'd do the same to him?" He gestured to Kuriboh while he spoke.

"If only," she answered.

Footsteps approached the room, and I looked back in time to see Krin appear.

"Seto." His tone was even, but I saw the exhale that accompanied my name. Had he been worried?

Right behind him followed the Magician, Kara, and Red. They entered the room to stand above Mokuba and me, separating according to who they were after.

I stopped looking at them to watch my brother. He seemed ready to burst into tears, but simply closed his eyes again. The Magician had been the one to break his ankle. Seeing him would only remind Mokuba of the pain he was experiencing.

"Why are you covered in blood?" Kara asked, just as her sister had done.

I answered the same way as before. This time, Mokuba didn't say anything. My eyes were locked on his face, so I could see his chin quivering. With our hands only inches away, I closed the gap and grabbed his hand. In response, Mokuba clutched mine tightly, though his eyes remained closed.

"You didn't answer the question," Krin stated.

"The Slaver had a party and some of his guests poured it on me," I said.

The Magician laughed. "He had a party? What an odd person he was."

_Was. _So they had killed him.

The Magician used the staff he carried to tap the back of Mokuba's head. "Ready to head home?" he asked.

Mokuba's hand squeezed mine even tighter. I tore my gaze away from his face to look up at Kisara, who had yet to stop staring at me. From the expression she wore, I could tell that we were having similar thought processes. Without Mokuba, we had no deal.

"We are chained together, and to the floor," I stated. "You'll have to find the key." I said that in order to stall for time. Hopefully, if the others left the room, I would have time to speak with Kisara privately.

"We can't just break the chain?" Kara asked.

"Maybe the one that is connected to the floor, but if you tried the other, you would break our wrists."

"That isn't a problem," the Magician said.

Kuriboh growled something in his direction. The Magician seemed to understand the sounds as he answered, "What? I can break his ankle but not his wrist?"

"I don't want Seto hurt," Kisara stated. I found her statement amusing, as only two days before, she had beat me to the point of breaking my bones herself. I didn't bring it up though.

Krin sighed. "Do you know where the key is?"

"No," I said quickly.

Krin turned and left the room. He must have been anxious to get out of the house and away from the Dark monsters. I didn't think of him as the type to aimlessly search. That seemed more like Kisara, who showed no signs of leaving her position beside me.

"We can't let him find it first," Red stated. The Magician nodded and the two of them left.

Kara followed behind them, most likely not liking the two to one odds. That left just Kuriboh, but I didn't think he would be leaving.

"So what is your idea?" I asked Kisara.

"I don't really know," she said. She looked down to Mokuba for a brief moment. "Maybe try something later?"

"There is no later, Kisara. We have six days."

Her forehead wrinkled in confusion, then the understanding appeared. "He told you?"

"Of course. So you need to decide now."

Kuriboh didn't appear to be paying attention to our conversation. He still was poking Mokuba, only the longer he was ignored, the faster his claw moved. I could see from Mokuba's face that he was beginning to become more annoyed than upset.

"If I try something right now, then I will be risking you getting hurt. They wouldn't let us out of the house."

"You are way stronger than the two of them," I said.

My comment made Kisara smile. I tried to think if that was the first time I had voluntarily complimented Kisara, at least, without an ulterior motive. I couldn't recall any other times.

"That is very true, love. But how do you think they will try to stop me? They will try to attack you. I can't risk that."

"You also can't risk letting him be in this city when the government decides to act," I countered.

"We found a key," the Magician declared as he reentered the room. As he walked towards us, I noticed him wiping it off on his pants. Something black came off its surface.

Kara, Krin, and Red came through the doorway. Krin and Kara wore irritated expressions, which I assumed were caused by the Magician finding the key. They had their arms crossed as they stood in their previous spots beside my head. We all watched the Magician kneel down to try the key in the lock.

He tried the key in the lock connected to the floor first. He grinned triumphantly as the lock fell open. Even Mokuba was staring at the key as the Magician next tried the lock around his wrist. It too came off easily.

But instead of unlocking my wrist, he pocketed the key. He then wrapped his hand around the back of Mokuba's neck and pulled him up, breaking our hold on each other's hand.

Mokuba cried out when the Magician tried to make him stand on his ankle, and I pushed myself up to try to help him. I didn't get close. The Magician tilted the staff towards me in a threatening manner, and Krin grabbed the chain still attached to my wrist and used it to hold me back.

"Give us the key," Krin ordered.

"No."

Krin didn't argue. He used both hands to grip the chain, then jerked it in half. He was left with a much shorter piece to hold onto.

Mokuba's eyes were locked with mine. Through the pain, I could see his fear. If they managed to get him away and hidden, then he would be at risk of the bombing.

We had an unspoken exchange. Mokuba raised his eyebrows and I responded with slight shake of my head. Then the Magician started to pull him towards the door, and Mokuba widened his eyes, eyebrows still raised. So I relented and sent a nod his direction.

"Domino is going to be bombed," he said. His words spilled out quickly, almost too quickly to understand. But the Magician stopped moving.

"What?"

I glanced to Krin out of the corner of my eye, just in time to see him glare at Mokuba. My brother looked in Krin's direction before continuing. "This city is going to be bombed," Mokuba said slowly, now that he had the attention of everyone.

"What does that mean?" Red asked.

"In six days, everyone in this area will be dead," Mokuba said.

The Magician smirked and shook his head. "Did you know about this?" he said, directing his question to Krin. When Krin didn't respond, the Magician continued. "I should have known you agreed to leave too easily. You were going to leave anyways."

"Seto can stop it," Mokuba said.

I smiled, realizing what he was doing with that statement. If the Magician believed that the only way to prevent an attack was by having me do it, then he wouldn't be able to separate the two of us. With that, it would give Kisara the time she needed to think of a way out.

"How?" Red asked sharply.

"I have to get in touch with our government and talk them out of it," I said.

"Why can't you do it?" The Magician asked Mokuba.

"You probably don't know this, but Seto is really important. They will listen to him."

Kisara grabbed onto my arm when the room fell into silence. If the Magician decided that he wanted to stop the attack, Mokuba had made it sound as though he just had the one choice. They would need me to do it for them.

"Can you really stop it, dragon-boy?" the Magician asked.

I nodded. "I think so."

"You're not sure?" Red pressed.

"They aren't just going to stop it because I ask them to. They will need something in return."

"Like what?" It was Kara who posed the question.

"I would assume you let all the people in the city go," I answered.

"That won't happen," the Magician said.

"If we let all of you go," Krin began, "Then there would be nothing to stop them from attacking."

His logic was unfortunately sound. Now that I reconsidered it, I didn't know what I could do to make the government change their mind. If they wanted to prove a point to the monsters, my request alone would do nothing. There needed to be some sort of a compromise. But what would be acceptable?

"They need to see that you are willing to compromise," I said, hoping that someone else would have an idea.

"I'm not letting you go, Seto," Kisara stated. Kuriboh growled something, as if he was saying the same about Mokuba.

"What if you let us live normally?" I asked.

"What?" Kisara questioned.

"What if you let us go about our lives as normal? No chains," I said, looking from my wrist to Krin. "No breaking bones," I said, glaring at the Magician. "And you let us live in our houses."

Kisara wrinkled her nose. "I don't see that working."

"Mokuba, Kuriboh, and I did a version of that before Krin found me," I said.

Mokuba agreed by nodding. "It wouldn't have been as bad if he let me move around the house at will."

The Magician shook his head. "That won't work. Even if you two agreed to it, you wouldn't be able to convince the other humans, and we wouldn't be able to get all of our kind to agree."

"Then you should get out of the city," I stated.

"The portal is here," the Magician said, as if that meant it was impossible to leave.

"You wouldn't run away if we let you live at home?" Kara asked me.

"If you actually allowed me some manner of freedom, I wouldn't have a reason to."

Mokuba cleared his throat as he had done earlier.

"And of course, Mokuba would have to be there," I added.

Kuriboh began to protest immediately. The Magician waved a hand in the beast's direction. "Shhh. I know, you don't want to live with dragon-boy again. Be quiet."

"Is that really the only way to stop the bombing?" the Magician asked.

"I haven't spoken to them yet, but I know they aren't just going to call off the attack. Protecting humans is their priority," I said, realizing that I wasn't being entirely honest.

Kisara elbowed me in the side. I turned to look at her and whispered, "That's mostly their priority."

"No one will go along with this," the Magician stated.

"We will," Mokuba said. "If you let us go about our lives, we won't have a reason to run away."

I was still looking at Kisara, so I leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Kisara, if Mokuba is with me and safe, then I won't go anywhere. I swore that to you. If you let us live at home, I would greatly appreciate it."

I leaned back so I could see her face. I meant every word I said, so she had no reason to doubt me.

"You do know that Kuriboh is not going to agree to live with your brother again," the Magician said to Mokuba.

Mokuba shrugged out of the Magician's hold and shakily crouched down so that he was on eye-level with Kuriboh. Mokuba had to put his knee on the ground to steady himself. I doubted that he would be able to get back up without help.

"Kuriboh, I will promise you this. If you let me live with Seto, things will go back to how they were. I will talk to you and keep you company, and I will not try to run away. But if you don't let me, then I will never speak to you again. I will ignore you and refuse to acknowledge your presence."

The little beast hissed at Mokuba's threat. Mokuba glared at him without wavering, seemingly unfazed by the monster. But Mokuba had practice with dealing with the Slaver; Kuriboh shouldn't bother him.

We all waited for Kuriboh's answer. The beast alternated glancing between Mokuba and me. His glare remained in place no matter where he was looking. After a few minutes, Kuriboh made a sound.

Everyone turned to the Magician for a translation. What we heard was a laugh.

"You actually agree? Just beat the kid and move on!"

Kuriboh growled again, only this time, it was directed at the Magician. The leader of the Dark troops shook his head and chuckled.

Mokuba grinned brightly and hugged the beast. When he released his grip, he tried to stand up, but lost his balance trying to do so on one foot.

Kara stepped forward to help him back to his feet. She looked disgusted that she was so close to Kuriboh, but said nothing.

"So you two agree. The rest of the population won't," Red said.

"I can talk to the people in the city," I said.

"The Light forces will do what I tell them," Krin stated. He smirked. "Can you not get your people to do the same?"

The Magician sneered. "Don't taunt me, Krin."

"So you can't," Kara said smugly.

"Of course I can. But why would I want to? I don't want to let Yami have any form of freedom. He is staying locked inside his room."

"Even if that means you die?" I asked.

The Magician was quiet. His fingers ran up and down the length of the staff as he considered his options. There was the unspoken choice of leaving the city, but along with that came leaving the portal. But it was either that or accepting the plan I had come up with. He obviously was looking for a third choice.

I looked to Mokuba, who was leaning heavily into Kara's hold. He was watching the Magician carefully. He wore a apprehensive expression. Perhaps he assumed that if the Magician refused, Kuriboh would change his mind.

"Try talking to your government first," the Magician said. "Then we will see what they say."

I nodded, deciding that might be the best I could get from him. "I'll need to get to a computer."

"We can go back to that building you own," Kara said. She still sounded annoyed that I had run away.

"We are coming too. And that means we are going to a neutral location," the Magician said.

"What about Seto and Mokuba's house?" Kisara suggested.

When no one had a better location, our house was decided upon. Krin lead the group, and since he had yet to release the grip on the chain, I was dragged along right behind him. I glanced behind to make sure Kara was helping Mokuba limp after us.

I stopped when we reached the living room. A burned smell hit me and I had to use my free hand to cover my nose. I looked around quickly for the source and turned away when I found it.

In the corner of the room, the walls were black as though they had been electrocuted. I recalled the sound I had heard before Kisara entered the room. I took the black patch as the after mark of a white lightning attack.

That wasn't all that was in the corner. Crumpled up in the floor was the body of the Slaver. That had to be the source of the smell. His body was barely recognizable. The monsters had destroyed him. All his skin was black and burned, his face had all but dissolved, and his limbs had fused together.

I turned away and was glad to see Mokuba hadn't made his way into the room yet. I called out a warning. "Mokuba! Close your eyes!"

He wouldn't be able to handle the sight. I knew him well enough to understand that he was sensitive to repulsive scene such as the one in the living room.

"What-?" I started, but anything I tried to say afterward sounded foolish.

"He kidnapped you. He had to die," Kisara stated.

Krin tried to pull me towards the exit, but I couldn't move. Kisara's words scared me more than the Slaver's body. Would they continue to treat anyone who threatened me in that way? That was how they would react to anyone who tried to get close to me? When would it escalate? How long until they would kill just anyone?

I then realized that the Slaver had most likely been carrying around the key to our chains. The black substance I had seen the Magician wipe off the key was a part of the Slaver's charred flesh.

When Krin pulled again, I allowed him to lead me out of the house. The fresh air was a welcome relief and helped to clear my mind. My first thought was to check to see if Mokuba made it out of the house. I watched the door until he and Kara came into view. Mokuba had done as I asked and his eyes were closed. But his face was twisted up, having clearly smelled the Slaver's burned flesh.

"You can open them," I said when Mokuba was close enough to hear my voice.

His eyes opened and he asked, "What was that?"

"The Slaver," I stated.

Mokuba muttered an "Ugh" sound and made a face. "That is horrible."

"Forget about that traitor," Kara ordered. She didn't give Mokuba the chance to stop walking, so the group moved to the street.

We walked along. Well, I was dragged and Mokuba limped. But we moved down the street in the direction of the house. I knew it was across town, and at our rate we would be walking all day. To pass the time, I started up a conversation with Krin.

"How did you find us?"

Krin groaned before beginning. "After the Slaver sent us to the abandoned section of town, we realized that something was wrong. On our way back to the roof, we ran into the Dark troops. There was a small fight-"

"Which we were winning," Kara interjected.

"No you weren't," the Magician said.

Krin glowered in the Magician's direction. "So once Kisara discovered that the Slaver had set up both sides, we returned to the roof. And when we found out that you weren't there, we started looking."

"And they were hopelessly lost until we showed up and offered our assistance," the Magician said.

"We were moving along perfectly fine until they started following us," Krin continued. He gave another tug on my wrist to pull me closer to him. I saw the Magician nearing us and realized that Krin was trying to keep me away from him.

"I simply suggested that we work together as our goal was the same. And then I might have had the idea of searching out the Slaver's relatives," the Magician added.

Krin picked up his pace, so I did as well. "That was already our plan. It was Kisara who suggested going to his place of work."

"Which just so happened to hold secret Light headquarters!" the Magician exclaimed. He sounded incredibly smug as he continued, "Krinny tried to keep me from finding out, but I did."

"The Magician managed to search through every room while some of us were speaking with the other members in the slave trade. One of the others knew of a Locator. That was where we went next."

"But you see, the Locator was one of my relatives! Without me, Krin here wouldn't know the Slaver's whereabouts. I could understand what he was saying."

"A fact which you could brag about, except for the fact you refused to translate and Red had to do so," Krin stated.

"You didn't deserve to know," the Magician said sourly.

"After Red told us where the Slaver's neighborhood was, it was just a matter of finding the right house."

"And you clearly did," I stated.

"Clearly," Krin replied.

And the conversation fell away. The rest of the trip to the house was silent, with one exception. Kisara walked up to me at about half the distance. She took my free hand in her own and leaned her head on my shoulder as we moved.

"It's amazing that worked out," she said.

I glanced back as I answered, "It turned out very well."

Kisara smiled as I spoke. I knew that she heard my words as truth, because while I was speaking, I was looking at my brother.

* * *

I actually managed to update in a reasonable time frame! Yay me!


	21. Twenty One

**Aqua-Princess of Imagination:** Haha- whether it is good or bad depends on how far ahead you look. Like Seto would allow any damage to come to his brain. And for the sake of my story, Tea got away. I don't need to complicate anything more so. Everyone seems to like the way the Slaver was killed. Haha- you might be right in that last part. Seto and Mokuba _might_ be seeing a whole lot more of their monsters.

**Lace Kyoko:** I'm glad you liked it! And the subbed was so much better! I didn't watch too much of it, but like six or seven episodes. It is very different. Let's clarify, the light and dark are "working" together. The next chapter is going to be a blast. (Haha- I just realized how amusing that phrasing was)

**TeresaShiho:** I'm going to miss the Slaver too. He was so much fun to write. But who knows? (Me.) He may have to be replaced with a similar character. . . And I just wish I could write faster. It seems like I've lost quite a few readers over time.

**Pk Love Omega:** Thank you! Haha- I'm thinking he may be called Seto-freaking-Kaiba for quite a while, in my mind at least.

**Drake0:** It took you a month to read this? Wow. Okay, that isn't so bad. It has taken me two years to write it. Haha- thanks for reviewing!

**ZQuill:** Kuriboh's death is going to be quite fun to write, if it happens. After all, it depends on your votes. And yes! This is only Part One. But that is only because of an idea I had. I was originally planning to end the story at the end of Part One. You'll soon understand why that wasn't an option.

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_**Author's Note: **_Does anyone want to beta for me? With school and everything, I don't have time to go through my chapters as much as I would like to. And I just finished re-reading everything that I had up until this point, and there are TONS of mistakes in the chapters. Also, if you'd like to beta Part Two, I'd appreciate that as well.

* * *

**Seto**

I leaned towards the mirror as I tightened the tie around my neck. In the reflection, I saw Kisara coming up behind me. She frowned as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Seto, what are you wearing?" She asked. While doing so, she put her chin on my shoulder.

"This is what us humans wear to important meetings," I stated. Running my hands down my shirt, I did my best to straighten out the wrinkles before turning around. In doing so, I knocked Kisara off me.

"I don't like it."

"I have to be taken seriously if I want to have any chance of putting an end to this bombing," I said.

Kisara took a step forward and spread her arms out as if to grab onto me again. I quickly slid back and walked to the door, pretending like I hadn't noticed Kisara's action. She made an irritated noise as I left the bathroom.

"Seto, can you grab me a bottle of water?" Mokuba asked when I stepped into the living room.

My brother was sitting on the couch with his legs propped up on the coffee table. Kuriboh was beside him, focused intently on his face. In the four days that we had been back in the house, Kuriboh had not acknowledged any of our presence. Mokuba enjoyed that fact more than he should have, turning it into a game to see how long it would take him to finally look at one of us.

I moved into the kitchen and opened a cabinet where I thought the water bottles were kept. The cabinet was empty.

"Did you move them, Mokuba?"

"No?" Mokuba said, sounding confused. He leaned forward on the couch so he could see through the doorway. Kuriboh also moved to block Mokuba's view.

"Kuriboh, who are you blocking me from seeing?" Mokuba asked. Kuriboh moved back, unwilling to admit that there was anyone else in the house.

I looked across the counter-top and noticed the number of items which were out of place. The realization of what happened hit. "Kisara!" I shouted.

"Yes darling?" She called happily.

"Did you move our stuff?"

Kisara entered the kitchen smiling brightly. "I did. It looks better now."

"It looks better? It is mostly all behind cabinets. Why does it matter how it looks?" I asked. I had to take several deep breaths to hide my annoyance with the dragon. She was trying to play along with our life-style. Yet, at the same time, she was unknowingly trying to make me hit her.

"Hey, Seto. Do you remember that 'Only Momentary' speech? Do that," Mokuba called out from the living room. Seconds later I heard, "Kuriboh, you've got to stop."

"Would you mind leaving our things where we put them?" I asked.

"But then I wouldn't know where everything is."

I caught Mokuba's eye through the door. He took an exaggerated breath.

I understood that I agreed to put up with Kisara. I knew that I needed to stay calm to keep her happy. The living arrangement was of my doing. But I really wanted to let all of my frustrations with her be known.

Mokuba made another motion for me to breathe.

"Then if you need something, ask me and I will get it for you," I said.

"After all, that is his job," Krin stated. He had positioned himself in the doorway so I could no longer see my brother. He crossed his arms and stared at me.

"You do realize that I'm not actually a slave, right?" I said.

Krin smirked.

"Where are the water bottles?" I asked.

Kisara leaned around me and pulled open a drawer. Inside were all of the water bottles.

"You put them in a drawer?"

"They fit so well!" She exclaimed.

I shook my head and grabbed one out for Mokuba. When I returned after the meeting today, I would have to go through the kitchen and put everything back in its original place. And after than I would have to show Kisara where everything went.

"Shouldn't we be leaving?" Krin asked.

"Don't we have to wait for the Magician?" I responded. I slammed the drawer closed a bit more forcefully than I had intended to.

Krin walked off then. I followed him into the living room and tossed the bottle to Mokuba. Kuriboh growled as it sailed through the air. Mokuba had to hold back a smile by biting down on his lip, which had nearly healed completely.

"Hey Seto," Mokuba said. I heard the tone of his voice clearly. He wanted something.

"Yes?"

"When you are trying to make this deal, could you ask for the slave market to be shut down?"

"I guess. Any particular reason?" I asked. I didn't disagree with Mokuba's desire to have it closed, but I wanted to understand his particular interest. Maybe it was related to the Slaver and his death.

"It's just, I made a promise of sorts to some of the kids while I was there. I told them that I would try to come back for them, but I can't with this ankle. I figure that this might be my way to pay them back for helping me escape."

I smiled at my brother. "Then I'll see what I can do."

Kara entered the living room, coming out of the bedroom where Mokuba used to sleep. "How much longer?" She asked.

"Whenever the Magician arrives," Krin stated.

"I don't understand why you three are letting him go along with you," Kisara stated. Her lips grazed my cheek as she brushed by me and sat next to Mokuba on the couch. Kuriboh made a grumbling sound at her close proximity, but did not look at her.

"Because we aren't going to be the only race to make this deal," Krin answered.

"If he doesn't agree to the deal, then the Dark has an advantage over us," Kara continued.

"He is secretly helping me with my escape," I stated.

My attempted humor didn't receive much of a reaction from Krin or Kara. Kisara just smiled and dropped her arm around Mokuba's shoulder. "You're not going anywhere. Isn't that right, Mokuba?"

"He'd better not be," Mokuba said.

I didn't get the chance to respond, as a pounding began on the door. I assumed it to be the Magician, who did not stop knocking until Krin opened the door.

"Let's get this over with," the Magician said as his greeting.

"Gladly," Kara muttered.

Before I reached the front door, a hand grabbed me. I turned around to face Kisara.

"Love, I don't like you leaving," she said. She ran the back of her hand across my face while she spoke.

"I'll be back in a few hours," I answered and tried to pull away from her.

"Your trip to the bathroom was only supposed to take a few minutes," she reminded.

"Kisara," I began, reaching up to grab her hand and remove it from my face. "As long as Mokuba is here, I will always come back."

She frowned. "That didn't sound romantic."

"It wasn't supposed to."

"Kisara babe, I want to be done with this. Just let him go," the Magician called out.

She stepped away from me. I could tell that she was still upset at the less than loving goodbye, but I ignored it. I moved to stand next to Krin to follow him out. Just before I closed the door, Mokuba shouted, "Oh, Seto! Do you have your keys this time?"

I leaned my head through the closing crack in the door and answered, "Very funny."

Mokuba grinned as Krin pulled the door to.

"Lead the way, dragon-boy," the Magician said, gesturing to the road with a broad sweep of his hand.

I was meeting up with Jeffrey Bryant, the man who had sent me the email about the bombing. He had been hesitant to come to Domino, but eventually he agreed. I had not told him about the suggested compromise, or that I had been chosen. Either of those might have kept him from coming.

We were meeting at City Hall, which Krin and the Magician had cleared out the day before. Bryant couldn't believe that anything was off if we wanted this to work. I already expected problems when he discovered that three monsters were accompanying me to this meeting.

I spent the last four days trying to decide how exactly to persuade Bryant to call off the attack. Telling him that there would be causalities would be useless; he would know that already. My best option would be to convince him that they couldn't risk destroying the portal. While monsters could still cross into our world, that was the only way for them to return to their own. What we needed to do was find a way to get them to go back to their side.

Another problem would be getting to speak with Bryant alone. After being kidnapped multiple times in the past week, I was very doubtful of Krin and Kara leaving me for even a few minutes. I might have had more luck if Kisara had come along, but she decided that it was not safe to leave Mokuba alone with Kuriboh. That I couldn't blame her for.

The roof of City Hall came into view above the tops of the buildings around our group. I tilted my head up to see it, drawing Kara's gaze.

"Is that it?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Is this going to take a long time?" The Magician asked.

"We are in day light, Magician, you have nowhere else to be," Krin said.

"Well if this deal works out, maybe that will change," the Magician answered.

"Go back to twirling your staff or something," Kara said.

I walked out ahead of the monsters, trying to get away from their argument. I had no doubts that Bryant would leave upon seeing the beasts that traveled with me. Yet there was no way to get away from them.

"Slow down," Krin ordered. I reluctantly did so.

We approached the steps leading up to City Hall. I stared at them for a moment, trying to decide if I was wasting my time. He couldn't agree to the plan. Even if he was risking lives, including mine, he would have to say no. They could not risk letting the monsters gain free rule.

"Are you going to walk or shall we drag you?" The Magician asked.

I didn't answer, but began to ascend the stairs. I bit down harshly on my tongue, preparing for the worst. However, the rest of my manner remained composed. If Bryant wanted to meet with Seto Kaiba, I would be nothing else.

Pulling open the front door, I marched inside. I let the door swing towards being closed, ignoring the monsters behind me. The action would irritate them, but I had never been one to hold open a door for another.

Men were milling about the lobby, probably waiting for my arrival. Upon seeing me, they became busy. Two approached and gestured for me to follow. Others walked into back rooms. I paid those men no mind.

My two escorts cast frightened glances in the direction of Krin, Kara, and the Magician. I snapped my fingers and without a word brought their eyes back to me. I smirked when their mouths opened and closed like a fish out of water. I had missed the rush of power.

They were eager to drop me off, and did so immediately upon leading me to a meeting room. I entered and stopped just inside the doorway. Crossing my arms, I said, "Jeffrey Bryant?"

A man at the end of the table approached. He was wearing an expensive suit, which made me slightly uneasy, as I was under-dressed. I tried to pretend as though it didn't bother me, though it did.

"Mr. Kaiba." He extended his hand towards the table, but I didn't move any closer to it. I had maybe seconds before Bryant realized that something was wrong.

"I need you to hear me out," I stated. I heard the footsteps drawing nearer.

"That is why I drove all the way out here," Bryant said.

"Seto, I told you to stay with us," Krin said as he walked up behind me.

Bryant's eyes narrowed. "You have been chosen."

"I have."

"You failed to mention that."

"With just cause."

Krin stood to my left, Kara to my right, and the Magician on her other side. It was an intimidating line, but we didn't need intimidation. If Bryant became too scared, he would leave.

I uncrossed my arms and walked to the table as he had earlier requested. It was Bryant who hesitated the second time. None of the other men in the room moved either.

"Mr. Bryant, we just want to talk," I said.

He didn't seem to understand my statement.

"Krin, can you give us a minute?" I asked.

"No."

"You are going to scare him off. Just stand at the door. I'm not going anywhere."

Krin and Kara glared at me. They seemed to be judging my words, trying to decide whether or not it was safe to leave the room. The Magician seemed even less willing to leave than the dragons.

"We're staying, dragon-boy," he said.

"Then sit down, all of you," I said, trying to make it not sound like an order.

Krin wasn't fooled. But luckily, he didn't say anything about it. He just smirked and moved over to stand next to me. He stared down at me and pulled out a chair, telling me silently to sit down. I did as he said.

"Mr. Kaiba, I don't believe we can go through with this," Bryant began.

I cut him off before he could talk himself out of it. "You need to hear me out. They are here because they are in charge of both sides in the Light and Dark war. They are willing to talk, and you should be as well."

"They are here together?" He asked. I nearly laughed at his statement of the obvious.

"Just talk with us."

He nodded slowly. He then walked in a wide arc to the other side of the table so that he could keep as much distance between himself and the monsters as possible. Once he sat down across from me, Kara and the Magician moved to sit on my either side. Krin remained standing over my shoulder.

"I can't let you bomb this city," I stated as the others in the room all took their seats around the table.

"As I said in the email, we will not tolerate the monsters presence any longer," Bryant said.

Kara snarled in his direction, so I quickly continued before she had the chance to say anything. "I understand your concern, but we will never be able to get everyone out of the city. You will be murdering innocent people."

Bryant clasped his hands together on the tabletop. "Do not believe that we are unaware of the risk. However, this is the city with the greatest number of the beasts."

"And that makes it acceptable to take the lives of the citizens still here?"

"As I have been told, most of the residents of Domino have evacuated."

"Not nearly," I said. "There are still hundreds of people here. Some stayed for family, others have been chosen. Over a hundred children are being held in a slave market as we speak."

"A slave market?" Bryant asked.

"You didn't know that they have been taking people as slaves?" I asked, being sure not to refer to them as monsters aloud.

"We knew, just not that it was an industry. But that has to show you our motives for preventing this."

"I'm bored, dragon-boy, get to it," the Magician mumbled.

"Mr. Bryant, we have come to an arrangement that I hope you will agree to as well."

"I cannot agree to anything. We don't negotiate with terrorists."

I chuckled under my breath. Terrorists was a perfect description of the monsters. I nearly got lost in that train of thought, but Kara moved her hand to rest on top of the table and began to tap her fingers impatiently. Then I remembered that I was supposed to be having a conversation.

"We have come up with a suitable compromise that you need to listen to."

Bryant's mouth remained closed. I could see him working through the situation in his head. True, the government was not supposed to give any leeway to terrorists, but this was a special circumstance. The normal rules could not really apply to all situations anymore.

"I don't believe there is anything that you can say to me that will change my mind, Mr. Kaiba. I gave you the opportunity to get out of the city. And there are still a few days remaining until the attack. Please take advantage of that time."

"What would that accomplish? If you haven't noticed, the leaders of the-" I hesitated, trying to pick a work other than beasts. No other terms came to mind, and I had to switch my phrasing, "-their leaders are right here. You are not just giving me time to evacuate, but them as well. The city won't be worth attacking in two days," I argued.

"We will not move on our decision," he said.

My jaw clenched tightly as I restrained the long rant that threatened to emerge. I began to breathe slowly to calm down as I thought through any other arguments I might be able to present. Only one came to mind, but that would require the monsters leaving the room.

I pushed myself up from my chair and turned to face Krin. Speaking in a low voice, I said, "I need you three to leave. He won't listen to me if you are glaring down at him."

"I don't trust you alone, slave," Krin said. The Magician and Kara stood up at that point.

"Stand outside the door so I can't run off. If he can just talk to me alone for a minute, I might be able to get through."

"This isn't working, boy. He won't listen to us," the Magician said.

"So you are willing to lose your portal back to your world? Or will you let me try one more thing?"

"How long?" Krin asked.

I held back a smile. "Five minutes? I can't be sure. But this is the only chance we have of saving this city."

"Five then."

Krin dipped his chin in Kara's direction and the two of them left the room. The Magician lingered a moment longer, but also left.

The instant that I knew they were gone, I turned back around. I didn't retake my seat though. Instead, I walked around the table to face Bryant directly, and to limit the volume my voice would need. The monsters could not hear what I was about to say.

"Look, I do not agree with this deal either. However, if it is between this and death, it is preferable," I began. I waited for Bryant to stand before I continued. "They have agreed to let us go about our lives as normal. All that they want is to live with us."

"You have to realize that no one-" Bryant started.

"That no one will agree?" I spat. "Clearly you don't know what it is like to live under these circumstances. In just the past two weeks, I have been kidnapped multiple times. I have been severely beaten. My brother's ankle was broken in punishment for his attempt to run away. I saw a girl nearly cooked alive for entertainment. A boy I went to school with is currently chained up in a freezer. I was used in an attempt to start a war. I was kept trapped on a roof away from my brother, and all for their needs. I have been a slave, a pet, and a companion to three animals, and I received no choice in the matter. Mr. Bryant, many of us who have been chosen might prefer death to this. What we are being offered is far better."

Bryant had obviously not been told how badly the state of being chosen was, as his eyes were wide in shock. For a minute, no one in the room spoke. But I knew that I was being restrained by time, so I continued.

"I do not like agreeing to let them live in my home. I don't want them anywhere near my brother. Quite frankly, I'd prefer that you did bomb them all so that we could be rid of them for good. But the loss of life is not worth killing a few monsters."

"Why don't you just leave?" Bryant asked.

"I can't. They have my brother and I will not leave him. So here is the real plan that I am proposing to you. Accept their compromise and withdraw the threat on the city. Give me time to try to find a way to defeat the monsters for good."

Murmurs spread through the room. I couldn't understand any of them, but hopefully, it meant that they were interested.

"How do you suggest we remove their presence?"

"I don't know yet. But I was there when the portal was opened. I saw how it happened and who was responsible. Maybe given time, he and I will be able to reverse the effects. However, if you bomb this city, you risk losing the portal. And if the monsters do not have a way to return to their home, we will be in even more trouble than we already are."

"You saw the portal being opened?"

I sighed. That was not the part of the statement that he was supposed to be listening to.

"Yes. I was there. So will you give me the chance to stop this, or will you ruin any hope that we have?"

"How long will you need?"

"Give me until the end of the year. If I haven't come up with anything by then, you can begin thinking of new methods to control the monsters," I answered. I was relieved that he was agreeing. But what I didn't tell him was that I had no idea how to remove the monsters from our world. All I could hope was that Yami would know something, and with this compromise, the Magician could not keep him locked away.

"Will they keep their word?" He asked.

"Krin and the Magician are the leaders of the Light and Dark monsters. If they give the order, then the others should obey. And they have the ability to enforce the rule."

"But will the people living in Domino agree?"

"That I cannot be sure of. The best that I can do is talk to them about it."

Krin entered the room at that moment. "Your time is up," he stated.

"If I can put up with _them_, certainly everyone else will be able to," I said quietly so Krin wouldn't be able to hear.

"So what is your decision?" Krin asked. He stood across the table where I had previously sat. The Magician stood beside him, but I didn't see Kara.

"The U.S. Government will agree to your compromise, under a few conditions," Bryant said.

The Magician groaned. "What more could you people possibly want?"

"There will be no more talk of war between the two of you. If we hear of an attack, then this deal is off. And you cannot kill any humans. I don't care what the circumstance is."

When Bryant stopped talking, I added another item to his list, pretending as though he had just forgotten. "And you have to close the slave market."

"And you will not bomb this city?" Krin clarified.

"As long as you uphold your end, we won't," Bryant answered.

There was a long silence. At one point, I was sure that I heard static coming from Krin, but that I couldn't verify. But the buzzing was the only thing that I could hear while everyone thought over the proposed arrangement. I tried not to tap my foot, as I often did when I was anxious, because I didn't want to show any signs that I lacked confidence in the agreement. It had to work.

"We will need to keep men in the city to ensure that you are upholding your half of the deal," a man across the room stated.

"No," Krin said.

"I'm actually going to agree with Krinny. You can't move your army here and expect us not to fight," the Magician added.

"Not an army," the man said. "But enough troops that we know you are abiding within the confines of the arrangement."

"You mean just like a couple dozen?" I asked.

"Something like that."

"It isn't that many, Krin," I said.

"To be clear, we remove the slave market, let our humans live in their own homes, and don't go to war. Is that all?" the Magician asked. His tone was angry. I assumed that like Krin, he didn't like being told what he had to do.

"If you want to stay alive that is," Bryant answered.

"Come over here, Seto," Krin ordered.

Bryant and I met each other's eyes for a brief second, as if to confirm our private agreement. I backed away to the edge of the table, then moved to stand with Krin.

"Go wait with Kara."

And I did as he said. Kara was leaning against the wall just outside of the doorway, so mimicked her position by her side.

"So they are actually going to agree," Kara said. Her words didn't sound like a question, but I answered anyway.

"It sounds like it, though I don't think that it will go very smoothly."

"I highly doubt that it will work at all. But Krin needs the time to come up with an idea to destroy your government."

I nodded in understanding. Krin wouldn't just agree to the compromise without an ulterior motive. He had been willing to let the city be destroyed. It was apparent that he had no ties to his other world, so he had no need to protect the portal.

Mokuba had mentioned Krin's initial excitement over hearing about the bomb. But that was before the Magician found out. A bomb would no longer serve Krin's motives. And if he didn't want the inconvenience of moving locations, he would have to compromise.

But that did mean that while I was looking for a way to take down the monsters, Krin would be doing the exact opposite. If he succeeded, everything would turn to chaos. If he won, he could actually make me his slave. He could enslave the entire world if he wanted to. Would he want to?

Krin then walked out of the meeting room. His eyes were closed in clear irritation as the Magician complained behind him.

"No war. How ridiculous. We could have killed them all right there, Krinny!"

"They aren't the government, just employees. Killing them would have made things far worse," I said.

"Still, it would have reminded them of who is in charge here."

"And gotten us all killed."

"Would killing him be an act of war?" Kara muttered as she glared at the Magician.

"Depends on who you ask. Some might consider it community service," I answered.

Kara smirked and pushed herself off the wall. Krin didn't speak, but as he began to walk towards the exit, he grabbed onto my arm and pulled me along with him.

"You agreed to it then?" I asked.

"For now."

"Then technically you shouldn't be dragging me, right?"

Krin froze and spun around faster than I would have thought possible.

"Do not believe for a moment that anything has changed. You still belong to me even if the situation surrounding us is shifting. You will do what I tell you to do, and in exchange, I will let your brother live. Do you understand?" He said, hissing the last part through his teeth.

"I don't belong to you."

Krin lifted the hand that was not holding my arm. I watched as a small strand of electricity traveled between his index finger and thumb. He moved it closer to me, and I slightly leaned away from it.

I didn't notice Kara coming up behind me until her hands were grabbing onto me. One attached to the side of my head, forcing it to one side, while the other pulled down the collar of my shirt. I realized immediately what they were doing and tried to free myself from their holds, but was unable to do so.

My eyes followed Krin's hand, or more accurately, the lightning he was creating. He didn't waste time in pressing it against the skin at the top of my back, drawing a gasp of pain out of me.

Seconds later, Kara let go. Krin's grip on my arm stayed in place while I lifted my free hand to feel the spot.

"You are mine, Seto. Don't forget that."

Krin went back to dragging me out of the building. I glared at the back of his head as we walked. Krin probably didn't realize that he just gave me a second motive for ridding the world of the monsters. Now it was no longer just for the sake of returning to normality, but to prove him wrong.

* * *

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY S****ETO KAIBA! **

Check out my blog for thoughts on this chapter. And keep checking it and my twitter for Chapter Twenty-Two details. National Novel Writing Month starts in a week, so I won't be working on Possessions in November. Hopefully, I'll update before then . . . but no promises. I would love to have Part One completed soon though.


	22. Twenty Two

**Sycoandcrazy: **I'm glad you clicked on it then! I don't think my summary is very catchy, which may be why you were SUPER curious. I mostly love the monsters, which is probably why you partly love them. They aren't pure evil afterall. Thanks for the review - the little push I needed to finish the chapter!

**Doflamingo**: Hm. That is a very different version of the story. I don't like killing off Mokuba, so I won't go there.

**ZQuill**: Sorry it took me so long to update. Laziness and all that. Yeah, Mokuba is a cutie pie. And I think everyone like Kisara and the water bottles. Such a random detail. And Part Two will be awesome. (In my opinion) I just wish that I hadn't waited so long to update this chapter. I really want to get started on the next. I may do that now. . .

**Lace Kyoko**: Thanks for reading my blog! It's good to know that someone does that. Hope you like the chapter!

**AyaseFanGirl**: Hey! It's been a while since you reviewed like, an actual review. I'm so used to the messages by now. Haha.

**SetoKaibafan**: I'm not typing out those numbers. Too lazy. Sorry. . . for the wait, not for the numbers thing. I'm really glad you like the story, and I hope you stick around through my excessively long update periods.

**Aqua-Princess**: We have a lot of people pitted against each other. It only gets worse from Part Two until the end. So much drama! But hey, you all wouldn't be reading if it wasn't dramatic.

**drake0:** Thanks for the review! And for liking the chapters' lengths. I work hard on those. Haha.

**TrebleTwenty:** Thanks. That is all I need to say.

**Havelock Vetinari:** And it continues to mount. . .

**Author's Note:** . . . . Hey. So, first off, I'm really sorry for the delay. I haven't even been blogging to give you all updates. Shame on me. I really had every intention of updating over the Christmas holiday and starting Part Two on the first of the year, but I just slacked off. No excuses. On to the chapter.

* * *

**Seto**

I blew gently on the motherboard of a computer I was repairing. A small cloud of dust spread into the air in a direction which happened to be where Kisara's face was leaning close, watching.

She waved her hand in front of her face as she coughed. I considered giving her an insincere apology, but finally decided just to ignore what I had done. I had given her a warning that she probably shouldn't sit so close to me while I worked, but she refused to move. She deserved the small annoyance.

"Seto, where did you say that video was?" Mokuba asked.

He was sitting at the desk in the main computer lab, going through old KaibaCorp files. Kuriboh was sitting on a chair beside him, watching him search through the computer.

"I'm not really sure. Look under the KCMil folder and see if I left that one alone," I said. Mokuba started clicking again and I went back to cleaning out the internal parts of the computer. Kisara remained where she was. Her head rested on her knees as we sat on the floor, and she ran a hand over my leg. Since we were seated, it would be far too difficult to move away from Kisara, so I left her alone.

"What did you say it would be labeled?"

"It would have been something like Missile Preview or After Effect. It is about a three minutes long, if that helps you narrow it down."

"I thought you were supposed to have an amazing memory," Mokuba muttered.

"It has been years since I've touched these files, kiddo. You can't expect me to remember the designation for every file."

"I certainly can!" Mokuba exclaimed. He sighed deeply after his words, then said, "I can't find anything. Do you want to look?" Mokuba asked as he turned to look at me.

I held up the pile of equipment I was working with. "Do you want to put this computer back together?"

"I'll keep looking."

Kisara started humming a song that I recognized. She hadn't forgotten the song she wrote about the two of us.

"Will you hand me that memory card?" I asked her.

Kisara raised an eyebrow. "What?"

I pointed to the card which had somehow ended up outside of my reach. Kisara followed my directions and tried to hand me the right item. I had to redirect her several times before she picked up the right piece.

"That's it."

"Are you almost done? This is so boring," she complained.

"I needed to make sure everything was working. You don't want another fire to break out, do you?"

"Another fire?" Mokuba asked.

"I tried to turn on a computer last week, just one of the ones upstairs. But when I turned it on, it overheated and a small fire was created," I explained.

"Would the file be 'Missile Demonstration and Results?'"

"That sounds right. Open it up and check."

"It requires a password."

"It's 3878h55aa12n," I called out.

"You remember _that_ but not the name of the file?" Mokuba asked as he typed in the password.

"It was Gozaburo's password for all his private files."

Mokuba accepted the answer and went on, but Kisara jumped in. "Who's Gozaburo?"

I kept working the pieces of the processor back together. I should have realized that Kisara would want me to clarify the statement. Since I didn't want to talk about it, I needed to think of a quick solution to make her happy.

"He owned the company before I did."

"Does that mean his name was Kaiba too?"

I sighed and put down the CPU I had been about to put back into place. "Yes, his name was also Kaiba."

"Does that mean you were related?"

"Yes," I said simply, hoping she would drop it.

"Does that-"

"Kisara, he doesn't want to talk about that," Mokuba said. He didn't turn around as he spoke, but kept his eyes glued to the screen in front of him.

Kisara frowned. "Is there something you don't want to tell me, darling?"

"It just isn't relevant," I said. I stared at her until she closed her mouth, then I went back to the computer spread out before me.

"Seto, this is it. What do you want me to do with it?" Mokuba asked.

"Is there a flash drive in one of the drawers beside you?"

Mokuba began searching through the drawers, It took him longer than it should have. Kuriboh was getting in his way, most likely annoyed at his lack of attention. Mokuba tried to roll around him in the office chair, but Kuriboh cut off his path.

I knew that Kuriboh would make Mokuba's task take far longer than necessary, so I ignored it and went to finishing the computer. Kisara managed to stay quiet just long enough for me to reconstruct the device. Once I was finished, she immediately said, "Now can we do something more interesting?"

I pushed myself up into a standing position. For the moment, I left the computer on the ground so I could walk over to Mokuba.

Kuriboh was still hovering in front of my brother, who was trying to talk him down. I grabbed the back of Mokuba's chair and slid it out of my way so that I could look at the video he found for me. I clicked play and watched it to make sure that it was the right one, then hit the pause button once I was certain.

Kisara walked up behind me as I set about the search for the flash drive that I had asked Mokuba to look for. She watched as I pulled drawers open and pushed the contents aside. I didn't remember who the computer programmer was who had occupied this desk, but if I had come down here while KaibaCorp was still running, I would have fired him. He was a slob.

I came up empty handed until I opened the bottom drawer. I found a flash drive inside and picked it up.

"What's that?" Kisara asked. She reached out and plucked it from my grasp.

"It's called a flash drive. I need to transfer this file over to the other computer and to do that, I need that back."

She held it close to her face and squinted as she examined it. "I don't understand your human things," she eventually stated.

"That is because you aren't human," I said, reclaiming the flash drive from her hand.

I moved back to the computer I had just put back together. Before I picked it up, I put the flash drive in my pocket to prevent Kisara from taking it away from me again. I would not be surprised if she made another attempt to take it back.

"Kuriboh, I swear if you don't stop poking me I will kick you with my good leg!"

I bent down and picked up the computer. I had to carry it over to the monitor beside the projection screen, so on my way, I stopped by Mokuba and Kuriboh.

Mokuba was pushing at Kuriboh, trying to get him off his lap. I didn't say anything, but wrapped my fingers around the back of the chair Mokuba was sitting in. I then began to walk towards the monitor, dragging Mokuba along with me. He gasped in shock as he turned around to look at me. I smirked down at him and continued on my way.

Kuriboh growled after us. I paid that no mind, as all Kuriboh ever did was growl.

"Did you need me for something, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

We stopped next to the screen and I released the grip on Mokuba's chair. He used his uninjured leg to spin around so he faced me.

"No," I said.

Mokuba smiled and scooted up closer to the desk with the computer system I would be working with. He folded his arms across the desk and laid his head down on top of his arms. I pulled the flash drive out of my pocket and placed it right in front of his face.

"You can watch this for me," I said.

"Seto!"

Kara stormed into the room. Her hair was pulled back away from her face with a rubber band that I had offered her earlier in the day, so I could see the full extent of her annoyance printed on her face. I braced myself for the worst.

"Yes?"

"How much longer do we have to wait before this stupid thing starts?"

"I should have the computer set up soon enough. You can start bringing people in," I said as I put the computer tower on the floor.

"I don't want to bring people in, Seto. I need you to get your job done."

"That doesn't even make sense," Mokuba mumbled through his arms.

"I will be done in a few minutes."

Kara kept walking over until she stood right beside me. Kisara saw her sister's action and quickly moved to stand even closer. I stepped back until I could move no farther due to the desk.

"Stop messing with your brother and finish."

Hearing that he was being discussed, Mokuba lifted his head up. He shrunk back slightly upon noticing the two dragons' closeness. But when Kuriboh noticed how close the dragons were to Mokuba, he flew over and started voicing his protests.

"Get away from me," Kara hissed. Her teeth were clenched tightly together, as were her fists. Mokuba and I stared at each other. She was going to try to kill Kuriboh. If she did that before this meeting, we would be creating a war and ruining the compromise we had set up.

"Is something wrong?" Mokuba asked.

"No, nothing is wrong. I have just been flying around town all day trying to force all of our people and allies to come together for a meeting that none of us want. So clearly, nothing is wrong."

"Then give me two minutes and I will have everything ready," I said. Luckily, Kara stepped back enough that I had space to kneel down and begin plugging the wires in place.

While I finished, Kara and Kisara moved to get the large room ready for all the monsters. They had to push all the chairs and tables that were set up for conferences to the perimeter of the room.

In order to have access to the video and projector, the meeting had to take place at KaibaCorp. Since I doubted ever getting the building back to its former state, I grudgingly let them use the space.

When I had everything set up, I turned to Mokuba.

"Come on, kiddo," I said, taking Mokuba's chair in my hand once more. I began to pull him into the adjoining room.

"I still don't understand why I can't stay," he complained.

I opened the door and moved Mokuba inside. He put his good foot on the ground and started to slowly scoot his way over to the sound system that I earlier discovered still operated, even with all the time that had passed. It was designed to monitor and record the meeting I used to hold in the other room.

"I'm certain that a fight will break out, and the possibly of more than one is very likely. I don't want you in danger," I explained.

Mokuba picked up a headset from the desk and put it on. "But you get to stay?"

"I have to run the computer. You can still listen from here."

"Listen, not watch. It isn't the same thing."

"The security cameras are all broken. I can't do anything about that."

"Seto! Get in here!" Krin shouted. If he had returned, the rest of the monsters must be close by.

"I can't believe you want to be in there," I said.

When I reached the door, Mokuba answered, "I don't. I want to be asleep, at home."

"Don't make a sound," I added.

Mokuba responded with a "yeah, yeah, yeah," and a wave of his hand.

After I closed the door, Kuriboh came flying at me. He began growling and screeching in my face.

"Mokuba is in there," I said, pointing my thumb behind me.

I smirked as I walked away, well aware that Kuriboh would be unable to open the door.

All three dragons stood on the raised platform where I would give speeches from. The Magician and Red stood with them, making me hesitant to join the group. But I did, and Kisara took my hand when I was within her reach.

"The computer and video are ready?" Krin asked.

I nodded.

"Then we are ready. Red, let them in," Krin ordered.

"Why would I do what you say?" Red asked.

"The door needs to be opened and you are not a leader."

"Which means you open the door," Kara added.

"I won't do that."

"Why don't you open the door, babe?" the Magician said to Kisara.

"I have to be up here when they come in!"

"Then send your slave, Krin."

"He'll be killed the moment he opens the door," Krin said.

"Why would they kill me?" I asked. Kisara tightened her grip on my hand as I spoke.

"Because you are a human," Krin stated.

"Will someone just go open the door?" Kara asked.

"I'm not going to," the Magician said.

I rolled my eyes at the childish conversation. If it wasn't for Kisara's hold on me, I would have gone to the door already. But she was clinging on as if her life depended on the strength of her grip.

"Then scream 'Come in,'" I suggested.

They argued over the best choice for another minute. I could imagine Mokuba sitting in the other room, laughing at the absurdity of the conversation. He would be sure to find amusement in the five most powerful monsters in the city arguing over who should open a door. I was more frustrated than entertained.

I wasn't the only one. Kuriboh, who had yet to find a way into the observation room, flew to the group of the six of us and growled something at us collectively. He then flew to the door and knocked on it with his claws.

"Or that could work too," the Magician said.

Finally the door opened. In came a stampede of creatures, most of whom I did not recognize. There were some familiar faces, D.D. Warrior Lady, Zoa, and even the wolves that I had seen transform into humans all that time ago. Krin and the Magician had actually accomplished gathering all the monsters of the races.

They piled in, moving as close to the stage as possible. Even as the room began to fill, more and more monsters came through the door. I started to believe that the room would reach its capacity before all of the beasts had entered.

"There isn't going to be enough room," I whispered to Kisara.

She nodded. "We know. These are only the Light and Dark. We will have to bring in the other races once we finished here."

"So we will be here all day?"

"Probably a few days," Kisara said.

"That is ridiculous."

"Be quiet and get the video ready," Krin ordered. He angled his chin to Kisara to speak next, "Let go of his hand."

Kisara did so reluctantly. Once I was freed, I did as Krin said and went to the computer. I had purposely chosen to place a monitor on the stage that was larger than most. It was a detail that was unimportant to the dragons, but I didn't want all of the monsters in the room to watch me work. Also, I didn't want them to pay attention to me. The monitor would help keep me hidden while the monsters debated among themselves.

I pulled the chair up and sat down. From where I had positioned myself, I could only see the monsters on either end of the room, and the five on stage. A movement from the ceiling caught my attention, and I realized that some of the monsters had taken to the air.

Wasting no time, I plugged in the flash drive and began going through the files. Krin began to speak while I worked.

"Settle down!" he shouted. The room immediately fell into a tense silence.

"Look, we get that you don't want to be here. Really, we don't either," the Magician said. His words created a quiet buzz of voices and sounds throughout the crowd.

"The humans have posed a far larger threat than we could have imagined possible," Krin began. At that, a few of the monsters that could see me began to growl.

"Let's kill them!"

"Take them as slaves!"

"Eat them!"

"Destroy them!" arose shouts from the group. Krin raised a hand to silence them.

"Unfortunately, that is not an option. The only choice that we have is to cooperate with their rulers."

"Why should we do anything they tell us to do?" came another cry.

"Because they will kill us if we don't," the Magician replied.

"How can they kill us? Humans are weak!"

"The humans have weapons that our kind have never seen. Before we take action against them, we must understand what it is that we are dealing with," Krin said.

I wasn't sure when Krin wanted me to start the video, so I pulled it up and had it ready to go. He had claimed, upon hearing that I had such a video, that it would only be necessary if the monsters refused to go along with the agreement. After the first few seconds of the meeting, I knew that it would be. The only thing left to do was to show to them how deadly the situation we were facing truly was.

"What they want us to do is very simple," Krin started, but the Magician cut in.

"They want us to stop taking slaves, close the slave market, and stop killing humans."

That was a cause of distress among the monsters. They all began to shout their protests, not all directed at the stage. A few small fights broke out in the crowd.

I turned my head to watch Krin rub his hand across his face in irritation. He didn't bother trying to quiet the monsters again, at least, not with words.

Krin lifted his hand, palm facing the crowd and his fingers pulled back. I recognized the position from when I first saw Krin. I just hoped that he wouldn't let any of the lightning hit near the computer I was sitting in front of.

The room erupted into light. I had to close my eyes to keep from from burning at the amount of electricity that Krin produced. It streaked out among the monsters, hitting several of them, both Light and Dark. Their screams lasted for a moment before the room entered into silence.

"Unless you want to die, you will agree to obey their rules," Krin said. His words were low so that all in the room had to listen carefully in order to hear him. "This is only temporary. Until we can find a way to regain control, we must cooperate."

"That means all of us," the Magician added.

"What about our companions?"

I recognized the voice. There was no need for me to look around the monitor to see D.D. shouting up at Krin and the Magician.

"You are allowed to keep your humans," Krin began. "But you have to give them a manner of freedom."

"What does that mean?" came another voice.

"It means that you can't keep them locked up. You have to let them choose where to live and allow them to live unrestrained," the Magician grumbled.

More arguments emerged. It appeared that no one else was willing to allow their humans to live normal lives. But I had predicted that. However, I trusted that Krin and the Magician would be able to convince them, if not forcibly.

I glanced down at the clock on the computer. I had a second meeting to attend, and it was set to start in less than an hour. From the looks of the monster assembly, I doubted that I would be able to stay for all of it. We were meeting across town, so I had around twenty minutes until I needed to leave.

"They will just run away!" one of the monsters shouted.

"If they run, then they have broken their side of the agreement, and it is void for that one person," Krin said. He cast a glance in my direction and I sent in a small nod. That was what we had agreed on, and what I would have to convince the citizens of Domino to accept.

"What does void mean?" another monster shouted.

"If they try to leave you, feel free to beat them back into submission," the Magician said.

Kara was standing the closest to me out of everyone on stage. She was just close enough to tap her fingers on the edge of the desk. She drummed them in an irritated rhythm.

"Both sides have to cooperate," Krin continued.

"What if we don't?" someone responded.

Krin released a deep growl from the back of his throat. "You will do as I say," he hissed.

"We don't follow you!" That voice I assumed came from the Dark side.

"No? You follow me," the Magician said. He swung the staff back over his shoulders, wearing it like a yoke. "And I'm telling you all that I'll kill anyone who attempts to break this rule."

Grunts spread through the crowd, and a silence emerged shortly after. I leaned around the monitor and saw that one monster, in human form, pushing his way to the front of the crowd.

"What is to prevent us from just attacking their rulers? No weapon could stand against us."

Krin's eyes narrowed at the speaker. "I said earlier, they have weapons which we have never faced before."

"And just because they attack differently means that we shouldn't fight?"

I had the cursor hovering over the 'play' button. I expected that at any moment, Krin would become tired of arguing with them and would tell me to start the video.

"Do it, slave," Krin said quietly.

I tapped my finger against the mouse and watched the video begin.

I had chosen to begin a few seconds into the video. The idea was to catch all the monsters' attentions right away, and the description of what was to come was far from eye-catching. The moment I chose was right as a missile exploded.

KaibaCorp, back when it focused on weapons manufacturing, had a private missile testing range. Gozaburo had always recorded the tests and stored them on the computers in KaibaCorp so that he had a demonstration of what he product was capable of.

This particular video was not one of those. It was a film sent to the company by a anti-war protestor. The beginning moments were KaibaCorp footage, but the end was home videos compiled together. The purpose was supposed to turn people away from the idea of bombs by showing how deadly they were. Over two minutes of the three minute video was only images of destruction. There was the occasional before and after shot which I found very helpful in letting the monsters see what they were truly facing.

If the government decided to attack, we would all die.

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair as the video played. These sort of videos were not new or surprising as I had been immersed in such images for years of my childhood. I only hoped that the monsters were more effected than I currently felt.

I glanced over at Kisara and caught her gaze. It would be easier for me to sneak out without drawing the rest of the monsters' eye.

I angled my chin to signal her over. The brightness in her eyes was disgusting. She skipped over happily, as if I was actually wanting to talk to her.

"Yes, darling?" she whispered, leaning down next to my face.

"I have to go to my meeting," I said, matching her tone.

Kisara chewed on her lip. I knew that she was hesitant about letting me go to the meeting, as I would be going off on my own. According to the new agreement, they couldn't follow me everywhere. By letting me go, they were proving that they were willing to cooperate.

"Do you have to?"

I nodded. "Yes, I do. May I go?" I asked for permission only to make her feel more comfortable with the situation.

"I'll walk you out," she said.

Before we left, I told Kara how to restart the video if the need should arise. She grumbled something about not being a slave as Kisara and I walked out.

"Let me say bye to Mokuba," I said, but Kisara grabbed my hand and kept me from going to the observation room. I began to protest, but she murmured a "shhh" and kept pulling me towards the exit.

"Come back and you can see him," she whispered.

We stepped out of the room and into the connecting hallway. Since the monsters could no longer hear us, I stopped whispering.

"Kisara, I'm coming back. You can let me say goodbye to my brother."

Kisara shook her head. "Why don't you let me come with you?"

"I told you. You can't come because everyone will think that you are forcing me into this. We are proving that we will abide by the agreement-"

Kisara's mouth pressed against my own, cutting me off short. I stood motionless as she draped her arms around my neck to pull me closer. I clenched my fist and waited it out. This was not the time to make a point by pushing her away.

"Please come back to me, Seto," she said as she leaned back. She only moved far enough away so that she could speak, keeping our faces close together.

"I swore that I wouldn't leave you," I said. While I spoke, I reached up and grabbed her hands from my shoulders. To her, it seemed like I was trying to hold her hands. In actuality, I was putting more distance between us. "Trust me."

Kisara glanced at the door at the end of the hallway. She squeezed my hands and her lower lip began to quiver.

"Are you about to cry?" I asked incredulously.

"If I let you go, you won't come back," she explained.

I sighed and tried to pull out of her grip. However, when she tightened her hold, the grip became unbreakable.

"You have to let me go," I said, trying to downplay my annoyance.

A thought kept pressing to the forefront of my mind. I tried to ignore it, but Kisara was making it difficult. I was more concerned with what I was saying than Kisara's words. I was agreeing never to leave my captor. The three dragons were letting me walk away from them, but they might as well have been coming with me.

If I didn't need to be alone for the meeting, then I would have let Kisara come with me. At least if she came, it would feel more like I had no choice. Ironically, I felt more chained now than I did before the agreement had been made. Then, I had a chance of running. That had been taken for this false freedom.

Did I want to force this on the rest of the city?

"Please, Seto," Kisara whispered. She wrapped her arms behind me, which pulled my still trapped hands which hers. She leaned her head against my chest and held the position for a moment.

"Kisara. I am coming back," I said. "Sit with Mokuba if it makes you feel better. Even if you don't trust that I will come back for you, you can know that I will always come for him."

Kisara huffed and moved back upright. She dropped my hands and I took the chance to step back.

"You aren't even trying to sound sincere," she grumbled.

"I'm not a romantic," I said.

"How long will it take?" she asked.

"A few hours."

"I'm giving you three," Kisara said.

I opened my mouth, preparing to argue. Then I stopped. Three hours would be plenty of time. I knew that within a few minutes of being at the meeting, I would be ready to leave, so having a time limit would give me reason to leave early.

"Three hours," I agreed.

That made Kisara smile. She closed the distance between us once more and kissed me again. Luckily, it was brief.

Then I left before she had the chance to try to stop me again. When I reached the door, Kisara called out, "Be careful!"

I ignored her and left. Though her advice was sound, I didn't feel the need to respond. Of course I would be careful. The monsters who were not in the other room still were unaware of the agreement made between humans and beasts. Because of that, I was still at risk while walking around.

The roads were mostly empty. The only movements that I could see were fast darting blurs at the edges of my vision. Since they were so far away, I paid them little mind. As long as they remained at the distance, there would be no problems.

I was correct. The trip over to the meeting location went without incident. I stepped through the gate to get inside. A few people were scattered around, but I moved to the front of the room where Harrison sat.

"Mr. Kaiba! I was so glad to hear that you called a meeting. We were all worried when you didn't show up last week. A rumor had spread that you had been chosen," Harrison said upon seeing me.

"I was chosen."

Harrison's mouth fell open slightly at my words. "By whom?" he asked.

"The Blue-Eyes," I said. I glanced around the room to see if there was anyone else present that I knew. There wasn't, which meant that I had nothing else to do aside from speaking with Harrison.

"I have heard that there are three of them. Which chose you?"

"All three of them."

His eyes widened, which in addition to his mouth being open, gave him a very fish-like appearance. "How is that possible?"

"The regulations behind their choosing are still beyond my scope of knowledge. However, that is irrelevant to the point of the meeting," I said.

"So what is the point of the meeting?"

"I will explain once everyone arrives."

With that, I walked to the far wall and leaned back against it. I crossed my arms and closed my eyes. I really wanted sleep, but that wouldn't come until I was back at the house. And even then, I would have to tell Krin and Kara about what all happened at the meeting about to begin, and then Kisara would do as she normally did. Between her excessive questions and kisses, I would never fall asleep.

"Kaib'!"

I groaned and kept my eyes closed. No matter how many times I heard that voice, it would never cease to create a migraine.

My eyes shot open when I felt arms pull me into a tight embrace. Wheeler had managed to pin my arms in his hug, making it impossible to push him away. And with my position against the wall, I was trapped.

"Get off," I said with my teeth clenched.

Wheeler did. "Man! Tea told us what ya did in savin' her!"

"Are you really that surprised?" I questioned.

"No! I knew ya had it in ya to be a decent human!"

"Make an attempt to hug me again and I will prove you wrong."

Wheeler found my threat amusing, so he laughed.

"I thought you'd been chosen?"

I looked around and to my dismay, enough people hadn't arrived. I had no excuse to start the meeting.

"I have been," I said, watching the door. Once a few – nine or ten, perhaps? – more people showed up, I could get started. And the sooner I began, the sooner I could be done.

"Uh, then how-"

I held up a hand to stop him. "I will explain later."

"During the meeting, later?"

"Yes."

"So," Wheeler began, clearly not receiving the hints that I had no interest in speaking to him any longer.

"Go sit down," I said while pointing to a chair.

Wheeler grumbled, but turned around. When he faced the door, he shouted, "Yami!"

Yami had just walked into the room. I shouldn't have been so shocked. The Magician had agreed to the deal as well. But seeing him move closer took me off guard. My doubts on the compromise working successfully were beginning to fade.

Wheeler ran to close the distance. He threw his arms around Yami's neck, holding him in a deathly-tight grip. Yami's face remained blank until he was released. It wasn't until Wheeler pulled back that Yami smiled slightly.

"It is good to see you, Joey," Yami said.

"Good? It's awesome! How'd ya get out?"

Yami's gaze fell to me. "I suppose I owe it to Kaiba."

Wheeler's head spun back to stare at me in complete shock. "Him? Kaiba, Seto Kaiba, helped you?"

I chose not to respond. The odds of Wheeler recognizing anything positive I might have done were slim. To him, every one of my actions came with an underlying scheme. Wheeler's opinions meant nothing to me. It was of no matter.

"Did he not tell you why we are here?" Yami asked.

"Nah- Kaib' hasn't said a word!" Wheeler shouted. A few people looked over.

"So when do you plan on telling everyone?" Yami asked.

"Whenever most everyone arrives," I said. I then did a quick glance of the room. It was still too early.

But since I had time, I could use it to discuss one of the details of the compromise with Yami. If he left without speaking alone with me, I might not get another chance. And if I waited until after I broke the news to the group, there would be no time at all for me to speak with him. The people at the meeting would be so angry at my decision to compromise that I expected a riot to break out in the room. There might not be another chance.

"Yami, will you talk with me for a moment?"

Yami nodded and stepped away from Wheeler. I walked over to the corner of the room where no one stood. I leaned my shoulder against the wall and waited for Yami to complete the walk over. I quickly looked around to ensure that no one would be able to overhear our conversation.

Yami spoke first. "How did you get the Magician to agree?"

"He told you nothing?" I asked.

"He said, 'Go to the meeting across town. Come back or die.'"

I nodded. "That is about the arrangement."

"I trust you won't wait to explain this to me?" Yami said.

"You're correct. I need to discuss this compromise with you before everyone else hears about it."

"A compromise?"

"Yes. The humans and the monsters have made an agreement. That is what this meeting is for. I am here to make sure that our side upholds the bargain."

Crossing his arms, Yami took a moment to think. "You agreed for everyone to participate in an arrangement without general consent?"

"I did."

"That will not go over well," Yami said as he glanced behind him. "No one will appreciate you controlling them in such a way."

"And what about you? The Magician let you leave without any form of guard, right?"

"Yes, he did. I hope you can tell me why he expects for me to return?"

"Because that is the agreement. They can no longer hold us captive," I stopped momentarily and smirked. "Well, in the way that they can't keep us locked away. They have to allow us free movement, and in return, we will live with them."

Yami took a step to the side and leaned against the wall in front of me. "They've agreed to this?"

I nodded once.

"The Magician said something about a bomb?" Yami pressed.

"What exactly did he say about it?"

"I believe his words were, 'If that stupid bomb was out of the equation, I'd just kill them all.' But he then promised to let me live in that event."

"It's true. The government was planning to bomb Domino, but I talked them out of it for the time being."

"For the time? Does that mean they plan on bombing at a later point?"

"We have until the end of the year," I said. I broke my eye contact with Yami to check on the numbers in the room. Doing a rough count, I decided that it would be acceptable to begin the meeting.

"To do what?"

"To close the portal."

Yami raised his hand to hold off anything else I might have to say. "And how exactly do you intend on doing that?"

I lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "That's why we are having this conversation. Yugi-" Yami flinched at the name. "-opened it. There must be a way to reverse the effect."

"Kaiba, I have gone over it many times. I know how Yugi created it, but it is now in existence. Destroying it would be like trying to eliminate an ocean. It isn't possible."

I shook my head as I answered, "We have to find a way. And if what you say is true, we can't close it, then we have to find a way to get rid of the monsters. Who knows more about them than we do?"

I had intended on continuing my thought process, but Harrison entered my line of sight. He walked over to the two of us and said, "Mr. Kaiba, I believe that most everyone is here. Shall we begin?"

"Yes, give me a moment."

He left to sit at his usual seat in front of the crowd. When he was far enough away, I turned back to Yami. "We don't have a choice. If we don't find a way to get rid of the monsters, this city will be bombed, even if we are still in it."

"Okay, I'll see what I can remember about Yugi discovering the spell," Yami said, but he sounded doubtful.

"Good. Now, help me convince these people to follow the rules of the compromise."

Yami stayed quiet as we moved to stand next to Harrison's chair. Everyone else grew quiet, sensing the beginning of the meeting.

"I'm glad you all could make it out on an irregular meeting day. But Mr. Kaiba has informed me that he had vital information for us all."

When all eyes shifted to watch me, I took a deep breath before starting. "I have rules for you to follow. You have no choice but to comply."

And the complaints began.

* * *

End Part One.

Phew.


	23. Part Two

**Havelock Vetinari:** I agree. I went through that list when writing the chapter. Then I thought, "Would Seto really admit that _those_ people knew more than him?" I didn't think it fit his character. There was a thought process behind that sentence. Haha. I originally included a short exchange where Yami brought them up, but I cut it out.

**Aqua-Princess: **Why thank you. I do so hope that Part Two meets your desires of seeing how the humans and monsters interact now that they are being forced to. And I hate to say it, but you will probably be more annoyed at the end of this chapter. Also, congratulations! You were my 200th reviewer.

**Stormygio:** I had almost forgotten too! Just kidding, Chapter Twenty-Two had been open on my desktop during the whole three months. The Year of the Dragon? Fitting. YES! I want the cupcake. I can't resist a good cupcake. Well, if it is a chocolate cupcake. (hint hint)

_**AN: **_Did you guys know that statistically speaking, my one-shot November 11 is more popular than Possessions? Random. Oh, and the Kuriboh poll is still up, but I'll be replacing it when I upload the next chapter. It is basically already decided. I doubt anything could sway THAT vote. It's a rather large margin.

Also, a _HUGE_ thank you to my fans who stuck with me through the long gap in updates. It seriously means a lot. Thus, I dedicate this chapter to you!

* * *

"_Why am I here?" I asked and managed to annoy myself in the process. I was beginning to sound like I was stuck in repeat. Yet just like every time before, I received no answer. _

_Yugi had called hours earlier and insisted it was urgent that I drive down to the old public library. The building had been shut down for months, so it stood empty. Normally I never would do as Motou requested, but the idea of him in an abandoned building amused me. Not only that, but it peaked my curiosity. I wanted to know what was so important that it merited trespassing. _

_I left work and had my driver drop me off outside the library with the orders to return in an hour. He had seemed confused, but drove away without question. _

_A note on the front door explained how the library had expanded and moved across town, but I ignored it. The door was open, so I walked straight inside. Yugi and his groupies already were there. They were gathered around a table with six of the Millennium Items laid out on top. The Puzzle still hung around his neck._

"_This is why you told me to come?" I had asked. That too received no response. The only time any of them actually spoke to me was when I announced that I would not be sticking around to waste more of my time. To that, Yugi said, "You can't leave yet. I am nearly finished."_

_He had a book open on the table with the Items. He read out of it, occasionally muttering a word in a language I could not understand. The rest of the gang was no better off than I was. Wheeler and Taylor sat next to each other and whispered something that seemed to amuse them. Gardner and Bakura stood near to Motou and spoke in a polite tone, but their conversation appeared to be dull. _

_Eventually, right as I was about to try to leave for the second time, Yugi exclaimed, "I got it!" _

_With all the attention on the midget, he said, "I asked you all to come here because I think I found a way to get Yami's soul back to where he belongs." _

_Everyone else in the room knew what that meant. Or if they didn't, they at least pretended to. Yugi was about to continue with his explanation, but I stopped him to ask, "Who?"_

_Wheeler groaned. "Yami. Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh that has been livin' in Yug's body for years now? We have so told ya about this!" _

"_I'm leaving," I said and stood up to do so. That must have been the reason that Yugi hadn't answered my question all along. He must have known that I wouldn't stay if I knew what he was doing. _

"_Kaiba, please stay," Yugi called out, but I ignored him. _

"_Why'd you even invite him in the first place?" Wheeler questioned. _

_Yugi ran over to intercept me before I reached the door. He grabbed onto my arm, then quickly dropped it when I glared down at him. _

"_Give me five minutes to prove to you that this is all real," he said. _

_I considered his offer. "And after that you will not call me again for this absurdity?" _

_He agreed, so I walked back to where I had been sitting before. I crossed my arms and waited for Motou to continue. He closed his eyes for a moment instead of speaking. For about a minute, he stood there and pressed his eyebrows together as if in deep concentration. But when it became too uncomfortable to simply sit there and watch him make faces, I said, "You are down to four minutes."_

_Then he opened his eyes. "Like I was saying, I think I know how to let Yami's soul pass on to where he should be. I've been working on this for months now. All I need to do is recite the words in this book in the presence of all seven Items." _

_The others gave a small cheer, reminding me why I always thought of them as Motou's cheerleaders. I was far less impressed. _

"_Can you just get on with it then?" I asked. _

"_Yes," Yugi said. He then pulled the Puzzle from around his neck and laid it on the table along with the other six Items. He picked up the book, instructed the gang to move over to where I sat, then began to read aloud from the book. _

_At first, nothing happened. I tapped my foot and stared at the watch on my wrist, counting the seconds I had left until the end of the arrangement Yugi and I had just made. At a minute remaining, everything was still as it was when I arrived. _

_I prepared to stand when I had twenty seconds left, but something sparked over the table in front of Yugi. He hesitated when he too saw the movement in the air, then continued reading with more fervor than before. _

_I ended up standing anyways and stopped looking at my watch. There was now a black circle hanging in the air. It spun rapidly, growing larger and larger with each rotation. The Items on the table below all began to glow brightly, as if to counteract the darkness that Yugi was creating. More of the sparks appeared, and with them, loud crackling sounds. _

_I shook my head. What I was seeing was not possible. I half expected Wheeler to spin around and exclaim, "Got ya!" but a quick glance to him proved that he was just as taken back as I was. All the faces in the room, apart from Yugi's, were equally astonished. _

_Yugi's voice grew louder until he reached his top volume. While at that tone, he shouted the last words in the book and the black hole burst open to fill the space from the ceiling to the floor. The explosion threw Yugi backwards and knocked me into my prior seated position. All I managed to do was stare at the void that filled the old library. What was it?_

_Yugi turned to us with a smile. "See? I told you that I could-"_

_But he was cut off by Gardner screaming. One of her hands went to grasp her mouth, while the other pointed shakily at the black circle. _

_We all turned to follow the direction of her gesture. Out from the void came what looked like a large talon. It moved further and further out until another smaller one appeared below it. Then came the teeth, and then the eyes. As more of it came out of the void, recognition brought the words to my lips. _

"_Curse of Dragon?" _

_There was no denying it. The skeletal beast continued to emerge, revealing even more of the familiar shape. But the time that both of the wings had appeared, I was speechless. It couldn't be happening. There was no possible way that I was staring at a Duel Monster come to life. But this monster was no playing card. _

_When it fully exited Yugi's creation, it cast its gaze back and forth across the room. I slowly made my hand into a fist to compare the size to the monster's eye. One eye alone was easily four times the size of a fist. The sheer magnitude of the beast made me slide backwards gradually. I noted that I was not the only person with the idea. Everyone was staring up at the monster while stepping away from it. _

_The beast's eyes landed on us. No sooner did that happen than Taylor screamed and took off running the opposite direction. _

_The monster roared. I threw my hands up to cover my ears. Never before had I heard anything quite so loud. _

_Taylor's movement caught the dragon's attention and it looked away from us. I waited no longer before I too ran from the beast. But unlike Taylor, I ran towards the exit. I had to get out immediately. Although I would never admit it aloud, I was terrified. _

_Yugi ran beside me. I was surprised that he could keep up with me since his legs were the length of my arms, but I didn't waste energy to say anything to him. I ran as fast as I could, never stopping to glance back. _

_I pushed open the doors and stumbled onto the steps, just barely succeeding in grabbing hold of the railing before falling down. From right behind me came all but Taylor. They made it out seconds before I heard a collision from the other side. That was the one thing the dragon's size gave him a disadvantage in. He was too large to fit out the doorway without breaking it down. _

_We all stared down in Yugi in horror. It ended up being Wheeler who spoke first. _

"_Yug', what'd ya do?"_

* * *

Something tickled at my foot, pulling me out of my sleep. I tried to shake the unknown offender away, but found that I was unable to move my legs.

I opened my eyes and glanced down to where my feet were tangled in the blankets. I could barely lean up with Kisara's arm wrapped tightly around my chest, holding me close to her still-sleeping form. Further holding me down was Kara's head resting on my shoulder opposite Kisara.

I could barely see down to my feet, but I vaguely made out Kara's legs twisting with my own. That must have been what woke me up.

The four of us were trying to sleep in the makeshift bed they had me put together when we moved into the new house. It wasn't as much of a bed as it was a large pile of blankets and pillows covering the entire floor of the room. I had requested a bed, and this was their compromise. They had a habit of sleeping close to each other and they wanted me involved as well.

Krin shifted on the other side of Kara. Unlike his sisters, he had no interest in sleeping intertwined with anyone else. But although he didn't want to be twisted among us, he remained close to us while he slept. I remembered the first time I had seen the dragons over a month ago. They had been so close in their interactions, it made sense that even in sleep, they would be the same.

"Seto dear, lie back down," Kisara said quietly. She lifted a hand to wrap around my neck and pull me towards her. As I laid down, Kisara's leg twisted with one of mine, knocking one of Kara's legs out of the way.

Kara lifted her head and growled deeply at her sister. Kisara growled in return and pulled me closer against her.

A small fight began and continued on for several minutes. I simply laid between them, staring up at the ceiling and waiting for it to be over. It was not the first time that we had gone through this routine, so I understood that my interfering would be worthless.

"Stop it and let go!" Kisara exclaimed. She placed her hand on my face and tilted my chin towards her. "He is my companion!"

"I'm cold," Kara complained. To combat Kisara, she grabbed my arm and wrapped it around her body.

Krin sat up and glared at his sisters. "You two are going to have to start sleeping in a different room."

"You can't have him either!" Kisara shouted.

Raising his eyebrows, Krin pushed himself up to his feet. He leaned down and grabbed my arm. With a solid jerk, I was up on my feet. Kisara and Kara grumbled from below us.

"Thank you," I said. Without waiting for a response, I turned away. Because I moved so quickly, I almost missed his smirk.

I walked into the hallway, passing Mokuba and Kuriboh's room. The door stood open, so I assumed that they were both already awake. If that was the case, then I hadn't been woken up as early as I had imagined.

"Mokuba?" I called out quietly as I entered the living room. I didn't see him or Kuriboh, so I began to walk towards the kitchen. Before I got there, I heard the faint clinking sounds that let me know that Mokuba was walking closer.

"Morning, Seto!" he called out cheerfully. He entered my vision, leaning on his crutches as he took small steps into the living room. Kuriboh hovered right behind him.

"It's Sunday," I said.

Mokuba didn't answer until he reached the couch. Then he sat down, laid his crutches beside him, and then propped his ankle up on the coffee table. He winced when it came to rest, having lowered it a bit too quickly. He gave the large, black boot covering the lower half of his leg a glare, as though it was the boot's fault that it descended too quickly, before responding.

"I know what day it is. The beginning of a new week is a big deal, especially this particular week."

I frowned. "What's special about this week?"

Mokuba's grin seemed to take up most of his face. "It is October first!"

"And?"

Mokuba opened his mouth, but stopped when Kara walked into the room. She didn't stop for conversation or even to complain about something. She went straight for the front door and left the house.

Kisara entered the room shortly after. "Did she already leave?"

"She did," Mokuba answered.

"Good morning!" Kisara said, evidently forgetting whatever she had to say about Kara. She moved to the couch and took a seat beside me. Her hands wrapped around my arm and she placed her chin on my shoulder.

"What were you two talking about?" she asked.

I sighed, knowing that I shouldn't bother lying. "The beginning of a new week."

Kisara's eyes grew large. "No! It isn't already!" Her fingers clenched tighter as she spoke.

"But it is," I said.

"Don't leave me today," Kisara said. She looked up at me with the most pitiful face she could muster.

"I have plans today. I can't just skip them."

"You could," Krin said. I hadn't noticed him walk into the room, so I glanced over to the door he stood beside. He had somehow managed to get across the room from me so that he stood next to the front door. It came as a shock that Kisara had distracted me that much.

"We really have to go through this again?" Mokuba asked.

Mokuba scooted closer to me as Kuriboh moved on the couch beside him. The four of us were now sitting as close as possible. I noticed Kisara's grin when I had to shift nearer to her.

"Change it to tomorrow," Kisara said.

"I have the town meeting tomorrow," I answered.

"But you hate going to those," she argued.

"If I don't go, then people might think I skipped out on my half of the compromise. Then everyone would-"

"And Domino would be destroyed," Mokuba finished.

I held a hand out in Mokuba's direction in gesture. "See? He understands."

"Then go after _that_," Kisara said.

"Why don't you want me to go visit Yami? You have never really minded it before."

"Yes, we have," Krin said. He crossed his arms and locked eyes with me. "It is foolish for you to go into the Magician's home without one of us."

"The Magician is keeping up his end of the agreement too," I said. "Besides, there are soldiers all around town that will make sure I get there safely."

The front door swung open and Kara marched in. Her fingers were dripping with blood, smearing it on the door as she slammed it shut. Like before, she just stormed out of the room and into the kitchen. I heard the sink switch on, where Kara must have been washing her hands off.

"Nothing out there?" Krin called out.

"Nothing worthwhile," Kara answered. She walked back into the living room with a frown plastered on her face. "This compromise has ruined hunting within the city. We can't fight the Dark troops out during the day, so they have driven out all the animals that we used to hunt. Why should I have to go out of the city to find a meal?"

Mokuba exhaled heavily. He looked at me with wide eyes and leaned a bit closer. Kara seemed ready to snap.

While she continued complaining, Mokuba whispered, "Are you going to eat breakfast?"

"Have you eaten?"

Mokuba shook his head. "Kuriboh wouldn't let me get to any food."

Hearing his name, Kuriboh moved to hover in his lap. He raised a claw as if to start poking Mokuba, which he did quite often, but Mokuba cut him off by taking hold of the claw.

"Don't," he said.

"How are we doing on groceries?" I asked.

Mokuba kept his glare on Kuriboh steady as he answered. "As of last night, we have about three more days worth. You should get more when you go out today."

"And there is another reason for me to leave," I told Kisara.

"But I should come with you," she said.

"You wouldn't be allowed inside the Magician's house."

"Kisara, he has to go," Mokuba said.

"You are gone almost everyday!" Kisara exclaimed.

"Speaking of that," Krin cut in. "I have been meaning to go through your computers at your building."

"Go ahead," I said.

"I don't know how to work your computers. You will have to come with me."

I nodded. "Alright, when do you need to go through them?" I decided against asking his reasons. Every time I asked him a question, he would respond with something concerning slaves not asking questions.

"Today," he answered.

"I'm meeting with Yami at noon, so I can come right after that."

"Can I come too?" Kisara asked.

"You want to work?" Krin responded in disbelief.

Kisara pulled away from my arm. "Well no! I just want to stay with Seto."

Kara huffed. "I'm not staying here with the kid."

"_Kid,_" Mokuba scoffed. "I'm fourteen," he added under his breath. After he finished speaking, he pushed Kuriboh back to the side. The beast growled, but Mokuba ignored it.

Of course, none of the dragons had to stay with Mokuba. They simply understood that the agreement Kisara and I made included Mokuba's presence. If he and Kuriboh left while they were gone, then I would be out of the contract. Because of that, they never left him alone.

"You planned everything around Friday, right?" he asked.

I feigned ignorance. "What's Friday?"

"Please tell me you're joking."

I smiled. "Of course. You are all set to go to your appointment. I am planning to ask Wheeler to walk you over."

Mokuba shoved my arm harshly. "You scared me!"

We were interrupted by two quick knocks on the door. No one spoke as we all glanced over. There was no one that I knew of supposed to be coming over. From the looks on the dragons' faces, they didn't either.

"Seto? Did you invite someone here?" Kisara asked.

"No, I didn't," I answered, looking over at Krin. He stood nearest to the door, and I waited for him to open it.

Krin reached to the knob and twisted it open quickly. The angle at which I sat kept me from seeing who it was at the door, so I had to rely on Krin for any information.

It was the most expression I had ever seen on his face. His eyes opened slightly larger than they had been before, and his lips parted in shock. Krin didn't speak to whoever had arrived, but made to shut the door.

A loud collision reached my ears as if something on the other side of the door had stopped it from closing.

Then, a voice spoke. "Hello, baby brother. You're a difficult dragon to track down."

* * *

A quick update to make up for the last one.

**What's on the blog**: Thoughts on this chapter. Believe me, I've got several of them.

Let me know what you thought about the chapter, pretty please!


	24. Twenty Four

**Stormygio**: It's . . . someone. Haha- you'll be finding out who in a few moments. And this new-comer doesn't have to be seriously strong to talk down to Krin, after all, the Magician calls him "Krinny." And yes, the flashback was kind of a filler, but I thought it was time for you all to see just what exactly happened. I've had that scene written for a while. Thank you for the cupcake!

**Havelock Vetinari**: The cliff hanger was literally the entire point of the chapter. Haha. The chapter was written just for the purpose of leading up to that line. I think pretty much every chapter from here on out is plot-driven.

**Aqua-Princess**: I hope this update is soon enough for you. And I would tell you who is at the door, but you are literally about to find out. So . . . . go on.

**Twilight PhoenixFyre:** I feel very honored. Chapter Sixteen . . . that is the one where the Slaver kidnaps Seto and Mokuba, right? I liked that chapter. That's a sad one to stop reading on. And I'm glad you found it again! I enjoy having readers. Way to feel bad for the Slaver. I don't think anyone else really did. . . . Do you need a bandaid for that trip? The exit was creepy up until then.

**Jared2492: **Cliffhangers! My favourite plot device!

**TeresaShiho**: You could always go back and review it . . . Just saying. I am very pleased that you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you'll like this one too. Much more happens in this one. More to love?

**Sycoandcrazy: **I like your reasoning for having a toon BEWD. "Seto hates it." I think you've got me figured out. I just throw things into the story for the sake of tormenting Seto (and occasionally Mokuba).

**Lace Kyoko**: I'm pretty sure Seto is done kissing up to Kisara for a while. He is attempting to be his regular old self, and that doesn't leave room for a crazed dragon. And I am loving the Mokuba and Kuriboh parts of the story. There will be more of them!

**AyaseFanGirl: **What? That was a great cliffhanger. One of my best to date. And UGH. I hate computer viruses. My computer keeps trying to get them, but I just go around them and activate my security stuff. Did I ever say that the person at the door was a guy? I think everyone is assuming that. . . . not that it is wrong. I just don't recall mentioning it.

**TrebleTwenty:** Then read! Read away!

**Kazo the Hedgehog:** It takes me forever to read through this whole thing, so I understand. No one likes Kuriboh. I may make him a bit better at some point. And all of your comments/questions will be answered here in the next few chapters. No worries, I explain them all. Thanks for the review!

**Dmitri Stormblood: **Welcome back. And yes, quite the amusing image. And Kara isn't obsessed with Seto like Kisara is, so no? The whole family won't "be bothered" for him. And no beta reader, actually. I'm just trying harder to proof read.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: NEW POLL! This one has been waiting for posting for like, four months now. It's about time it got to see the light of our computer screens. Thank you to everyone who voted in the last one!

. . . Also. I doubt most any of you are aware of this, but I'm a closet Yugioh fan. Meaning, very few people know that I like this series, and even less know about this whole fanfiction thing. One of the guys who does knows just gave me a present. I'm freaking out. But I can't tell anyone without them finding it weird! This guy just gave me a Blue-Eyes White Dragon card, signed by Eric Stuart. (For anyone who doesn't know, that's Seto Kaiba.) I have a card signed by Seto Kaiba. My year has just been made. It's one of the best gifts ever, by my reckoning.

* * *

**Seto**

"Kray!" Kisara shouted. She ran over to the door and opened it wider, revealing whoever stood at the entrance.

"Little sister!"

Kisara threw her arms around the tall figure. While he returned the hug, I examined him. Like Kara and Kisara, Kray and Krin were nearly identical. The only true difference I noticed was Kray's hair. It was white, but it looked as though he had dipped his fingers into black ink and run them back across his head. The effect had black streaks messily striping his white hair. He had a bag thrown across his shoulder.

The siblings broke apart, but grabbed each other's hands. "What are you doing here?" Kisara asked. She had a large smile covering her features. I glanced over at Kara and Krin, and found that they seemed much less enthused.

"I wanted to check in on my favorite little sister," Kray said. When he did so, he shifted his gaze to Kara and smirked. She only snarled in response.

Kray's eyes left Kara and traveled around the room. He pressed his lips together as though to hold back a smile. Nodding a few times, he said, "Quaint."

"What are you really doing here, Kray?" Krin asked.

Kray didn't answer, but looked to the couch. "You're living with a Kuriboh? How very modern."

"Come inside and we'll tell you," Kisara said. She used her grip on Kray's hands to pull him in. He pushed the door closed with a foot and let her drag him to the center of the room.

Kisara pointed to the couch. "That is Seto and that is Mokuba. Seto belongs to us. Mokuba is his little brother."

"All three of you chose one human?" Kray asked.

For the first time, it struck me that there were four Blue-Eyes. With the arrival of the fourth, I wondered if it was possible for more of them to be out there. But only three of them chose me. Kisara had once mentioned that she just knew where I was, as if drawn to me. If Kray had any interest in me, then he would have shown up before now. Why hadn't he been with them all the while?

"We did. Why are you here?" Krin repeated.

"How does that work, exactly? There doesn't seem to be much of him to go around," Kray said, very clearly avoiding Krin's question.

"Kray. Why are you in town?" Kara pressed.

"Seto," Mokuba whispered. I leaned down to him so he wouldn't have to speak any louder. "Why are they so nervous?"

I glanced over at Krin and Kara, who, like Mokuba had pointed out, did appear tense. Krin was grinding his teeth together. His arms were crossed, but his fingers were squeezing his arms tightly enough to turn them white. Kara had her hands at her sides. One formed a fist while the other was open with her fingers drawn back. From experience I knew that was what the dragons did when preparing for an attack.

But Kisara looked overjoyed to have her brother standing next to her. The smile had never left her face and their hands still connected. She actually looked more happy than the time I had kissed her.

"I'm not sure," I whispered back.

Then I noticed that Kuriboh hadn't made a sound since Kray's arrival. He sat as near to Mokuba as he could manage and watched Kray intently.

Something was wrong with the scenario, I just couldn't decide what exactly that was.

When Kray stepped closer to the couch, Kisara slid around him so that she blocked his path. She did so with a smile, but the action only enforced my idea that Kray was a very unwelcome guest. Though Kisara seemed happy to see him, she didn't want him near Mokuba and me.

"You don't want me near your human?" Kray asked. He must also have noticed Kisara's interference.

"Nowhere near," Kara answered.

"Tell us why you are in town or leave," Krin demanded.

Kray sighed and dropped Kisara's hands. "I'm here for the reason you think," he said.

A low rumble emerged from Krin's throat. "Get out."

"Oh no, that wasn't the agreement. I told you why I'm here, so now I don't have to leave."

Kara's hand, which had yet to relax from its attack ready position, shot out a bolt of lightning. It sped towards Kray, almost too quickly to follow. But Kray kept a straight expression and raised his own hand to meet the lightning. Kara's attack dissolved into his hand.

"Come now, Kara. This is the first time you've seen me since the portal opened and here you are trying to hurt me."

"Go," Krin said. From his tone, I could tell that he was growing more irritated at his brother's refusal to leave.

"You're good at leaving," Kara added.

Kray laughed at her comment. "Are you still bitter over that? I asked you all to join me," Kray said. After speaking, he leaned down to whisper something in Kisara's ear. Her reaction was to lean away and shake her head.

"You are a traitor and not welcome in this city," Krin said.

"So now you are trying to kick me out of the city? You don't have the forces to do that," Kray said. He paused there and smirked. "Even with your new allies."

"You heard?" Kisara asked. I assumed that she meant the compromise.

"Trust me, little sister, everyone has heard. An entire city neutered by the humans. You seem to have created quite the scandal."

As the time passed, I began to side more and more with Krin and Kara. Kray's presence made me uncomfortable for reasons I didn't understand. There was something about him that didn't feel right and I wished I was able to figure out what that was.

"It isn't permanent," Kara said.

"And I'm here to help with that," Kray said, shifting the bag he carried.

"We don't want your kind of help," Krin said. He pointed to the door. "Now get out of our house."

Kray frowned and looked over at me. His eyes traveled down the couch and then looked back to me. "Do you really believe I would try something here?" he said, then glanced at Krin and raised his eyebrow. "You do, don't you?"

"It isn't like that," Kisara began. Krin cut her off.

"That is exact what this is like. Leave."

"Come see me, little sister," Kray said. "We have a great deal to catch up on."

Kisara gave Kray a sad smile and hugged him once more. They held the position until Krin cleared his throat, a clear signal for his brother to leave. Kray pulled back and smiled at Kisara.

"You'll be seeing me around, I'm sure," Kray said. He stepped towards the door and stopped. Looking back over his shoulder, he added, "Great to meet you, Seto, Mokuba."

No one spoke until he had exited the house. Then, Kara walked to the door and locked it. Even with her back turned to me, I could see the tension easing away from her. She breathed a heavy sigh and spun to face Kisara.

"What are you thinking?"

"I haven't seen him in ages," Kisara said.

"Neither have we, yet we didn't fawn over him," Krin said sharply.

"No, you tried to close a door in his face. Why give him a reason to be angry with us?" Kisara asked.

"Whether or not we are kind to him isn't going to change anything. You know what he is here for," Kara said. Unlike Krin, she spoke in a calm tone.

"So? We won't let him try anything. His group isn't that strong."

Krin actually laughed. It wasn't an amused laugh, but more of a scoff. "Kisara. They are strong. They have numbers. They cannot be taken lightly."

Mokuba's stomach growled and he quickly pressed his arm against it in an attempt to silence it. I didn't think that it was loud enough to disturb the dragons' argument, but I looked down at him.

"I'm going to get you something to eat. Anything in particular?"

"You aren't scared they will hit you if you move?" Mokuba asked.

"What?"

Mokuba shrugged. "They are scary like that." Kuriboh began rubbing his small body against Mokuba's arm as he spoke.

"Scary enough that you don't want to eat?"

Biting his lip, Mokuba stared up at the ceiling as he debated. "No," he said, "I guess I still want food."

"What kind of food?"

"Doesn't matter."

I smirked. "Oh really? So, you wouldn't mind if I got you one of those granola bars that you hate?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "I'd prefer cereal."

I stood up, keeping eye contact with my brother. "Now was that so hard?"

"Torture."

As I began to walk to the kitchen, the dragons stopped fighting. Kisara ran over and clutched my arm.

"Where are you going?"

I pointed to the kitchen. "Mokuba hasn't eaten."

"Oh," Kisara mumbled and reluctantly released my arm. She stared down at her feet. I had no idea why, but she suddenly appeared to be crestfallen. I knew for a fact that I hadn't said anything that would upset her in such a way. I quickly looked between Krin and Kara, and to my relief, they didn't seem angry with me.

"Would you like to accompany me?" I asked slowly.

Kisara lifted her head. "Do you really want me to come with you?"

'_No,_' I thought. But since I didn't want to make her more angry by lying, I gave her my best attempt at a smile and offered her my hand. I didn't do it out of pity, but out of interest in her brother. Kisara would be the most likely to tell me why it was that he was a traitor. If we were away from her siblings, the odds would be more in my favor.

Kisara smiled, but it wasn't as bright as usual. She accepted my hand and we entered the kitchen. I dropped her hand so I could open up the cabinet with the cereal.

Kisara didn't mention the loss of contact, but moved to sit on the counter top next to me. She watched while I pulled out two bowls and began to pour the cereal.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Kisara scratched the back of her neck. "I'm fine."

I tilted my chin over so I met her gaze. "No, you're not." I took a deep breath after speaking. Being considerate was not my strong suit.

"I love Kray," she said. She paused momentarily to glance towards the living room. "But I love Krin and Kara too. They don't think I should do both."

"Why not?"

Footsteps came up from behind me. I turned to look and met Krin's gaze.

"Get out," he said, glancing over to Kisara.

She nodded, reaching out a hand and running her fingers across my cheek. With a final touch, she did as her brother ordered, leaving me alone with Krin.

"You can't leave."

I put the box back into the cabinet. "I have to go."

Krin moved to stand beside me. He adjusted so that he was leaning against the counter. "Then let one of us go with you."

"I'm pretty sure that I've explained this to-"

"Seto," Krin interrupted with a dark glare. "Don't go."

"Why? If you can give me a good reason for staying, then I will."

Krin continued to stare at me. His face was harder to read than Kisara or Kara's. I tried to determine whether or not he was actually concerned for my safety or if it was purely Kray related. Perhaps there was some feud between the siblings that he didn't want me caught in the middle of. But his face told me nothing. For all I knew, he just wanted to keep me locked inside for his own amusement.

"It's just-" Krin stopped to clench his teeth together for a moment. "I want you to stay here for a while."

I shook my head. "That isn't a reason."

I reached for the drawer where I kept the silverware, but Krin was blocking it. I gave it a small tug. Krin didn't move.

"You're really going out there?"

"Just like every other day."

Krin stopped looking at me and shifted his attention to the door. "If you are going to do, then you are going to do something for me."

"What is that?"

"Tell the Magician that Kray and his group are in town," Krin said.

"You want me to warn the Magician?"

"Just tell him," Krin said. He walked out of the room.

I pulled open the drawer and grabbed two spoons. I dropped them in the bowls and went back into the living room.

Mokuba reached out for it and as soon as it was close enough for him to grab, he did. I reclaimed my seat on the couch.

Mokuba huffed as he pushed the dry cereal around in the bowl. "Remember milk?" he asked. "I miss milk."

I took a bite of the crunchy cereal and nodded. When I finished chewing I added, "It happens when all the cows are eaten." I tried not to look the dragons' way when I spoke.

"Poor cows," Mokuba said, still staring dejectedly at the bowl.

"And goats," I added.

"Just poor animals all around."

"We went through all the trouble to get you two in the same house and you spend your time talking about animals?" Kara asked.

"Do you have a topic you'd prefer?" Mokuba responded. He received no answer.

* * *

I kicked around the blankets that covered the floor, looking for my wallet. It was a rare occasion for me to carry it with me when I left the house, but since I needed to get groceries, it had to come along. Since I used it so infrequently, I had a tendency to forget where I left it the previous time. Usually, I could find it somewhere along the walls in the bedroom, but for some reason, it wasn't turning up.

Arms wrapped around my waist from behind. I cast a sideways glance at Kisara. She wasn't looking at me, however, but at the wall across from us. The expression in her eyes was distant, as though she was in deep concentration.

"Don't go," she whispered.

"Then give me a reason to stay," I answered.

She shook her head before letting it come to rest on my shoulder. She opened her mouth as though to speak, but closed it again. She took a moment to compose herself before finally forcing out, "You'll be safer here."

"That isn't a good enough reason. Have you seen my wallet?"

Kisara shoved me forward a step. "You aren't taking this seriously!" she shouted.

I took a heavy breath before moving to face her. There was little room for me to be clearer than I had been already. "Kisara," I began. "You have given me nothing to be afraid of or to worry about. Until you do, my plans remain the same. Now, have you seen my wallet?"

She pointed to a corner. "I threw it over there."

Walking over, I debated as to whether or not I should Kisara her reasoning. But by the time I got to the corner, I realized that her answer would likely be that the lump bothered her while she slept. I didn't need to hear that from her.

I picked it up and put it into my pocket. Making to leave, I was stopped by Kisara. She stood in the doorway with her hands on each side of the frame. Her gaze had been on the floor, but when I approached, she lifted her head.

"Please don't go."

"Move."

She opened her eyes wider and parted her lips. A frantic expression took over her face. "You don't understand-"

"Then explain it."

"I can't," she said.

"Then if it makes you feel better, come with Krin to KaibaCorp. I have to go."

She didn't fight as I pushed her aside. I chose not to look back at her while I walked towards the living room. When I passed Mokuba's room, I said goodbye. He and Kuriboh had gone back to their shared room after breakfast and Mokuba was reading one of my books. Kuriboh rested underneath one of Mokuba's arms contentedly.

Krin and Kara were still in the living room. They watched while I grabbed my coat from the hook next to the door, never speaking a word.

"I'll be at KaibaCorp in about an hour," I told Krin before leaving.

Once outside, I took a second to glance up and down the road. Stationed at one of the corners was a solider whose gaze I caught. He nodded in my direction while shifting his gun around in his grip. He kept it ready for use.

He was the only soldier I could see, something which I found odd. Typically there were two or three on this street, keeping an eye on the dragons. Others were stationed periodically throughout the city. For the most part, I kept out of their way. Although it had been part of my agreement to have them come in, their presence always left me feeling uneasy. A part of their job was to report back to the capitol on my activities. In the weekly town meetings, I had to take time out to talk them through any progress I had made in closing the portal. So far, Yami and I had gotten nowhere.

It was no longer necessary to sneak down the streets. The monsters did their best to stay away from the soldiers. Many of them had moved out of the central portion of the city.

I pushed my fingers into my pockets and started to walk in the direction of Yami's house. After the compromise, he and the Magician moved out of the Dark headquarters. We met over there more often than not, as my house was too crowded to speak privately.

I took the dragons' words to heart and moved quickly down the streets. It was clear that Kray's arrival meant something bad, but Krin and Kisara's refusal to answer my questions made me worry that the situation was far worse than I was picturing. Yet, I wouldn't let that keep me from upholding my half of the compromise. I doubted that Kray could be any worse than the still-looming bomb threat.

Upon reaching Yami's door, I knocked and moved back. Tapping my foot, I waited for the door to open. Krin's request for me to stay at the house had put me on edge. It wasn't in Krin's nature to make such a request. Perhaps he was genuinely worried, but if the threat was so severe, he wouldn't have let me leave.

The door opened. The Magician huffed, saying, "Is it the first of the week already?"

I didn't answer, as it was rhetorical. I stood motionless, knowing he had to let me in eventually. For a moment, he actually appeared to be debating letting me enter. But Yami appeared behind him. "Would you rather we went for a walk?" Yami suggested.

"No, you should stay here," the Magician said. He moved so I could walk by. I entered the living room, which was the only room in Yami and the Magician's house I had ever been allowed inside. I had seen inside other rooms because, like in the old Dark headquarters, the Magician had removed all the doors. For that reason, there was nowhere in the house that was truly private. Yami and I had to be careful as to what we said since the Magician, if he wanted to, could hear our conversation.

"Stay in the living room," the Magician ordered.

Before the Magician left the room, I decided it would be as good a time as any to give him Krin's message. I was interested to see his reaction, and it was my hope that he would give me some other information about Kray.

"Krin asked me to tell you that Kray and his group are in town."

The Magician didn't answer at first. He turned slowly around to meet my eyes and asked in a calm tone, "Say that again?"

"Kray and his group are in town," I repeated.

"How do you know?"

"He was at our house this morning."

"But he isn't anymore?" the Magician pressed.

"Krin and Kara kicked him out. Would you mind telling me why Krin wanted me to warn you?"

The Magician smirked, but the expression came across as being forced. "If your owners chose not to tell you, then I certainly won't." He paused to bite his lip. "I will let everyone know."

He left the room.

"Who is Kray?" Yami asked.

I walked to the armchair next to the couch and sat down. Yami took the seat across from me, facing the doorway the Magician had just gone through.

"He is another sibling of the dragons."

"There are four of them?" Yami said. His tone required no answer. "Could there be more?" he added.

"I was considering that. I will have to see what more I can find out from Krin. They were very vague concerning him."

"But he wasn't with them before. He never chose you."

"Something isn't right with their relationship," I said. I leaned forward and clasped my hands together, putting my elbows on my knees before answering. "Krin called him a traitor. He doesn't fit with the other three."

"A traitor against whom? The Light monsters?" Yami spoke the last word more softly than the rest, in case the Magician was listening.

"That wouldn't explain why the Magician needed to be told."

Yami shook his head. "Speculation will get us nowhere."

"Have you made any progress?" I asked, changing the topic to the point of our meeting.

"I tried to go back to the Game Shop and find the Items, but the building has been destroyed. If they haven't been taken, then they are hidden somewhere beneath the debris."

"We will still have to find them, though?"

Yami nodded. "If Yugi used the Items to open," Yami hesitated and glanced to the door, "the portal, then I assume the opposite to be true."

"Next Sunday we can go clear some of it up," I suggested. "If I can find some time this week, I will get a head-start on it."

"Busy week?" Yami asked.

"No more than any other. But after the way the dragons acted this morning, I don't know if they will let me leave as often as I typically do."

"Is this all because of Kray?"

"Yes. They were acting normal until he showed up this morning."

"Then we will need to find out what he is here for."

"No, really?" I said. I got to my feet. This was pointless to continue. If Yami had gotten nowhere in finding a way to close the portal, then there was no reason for me to stay any longer.

"Do you want to meet at the Game Shop next week instead of here?" I asked.

"That will be fine."

I took that as my moment to leave. Upon stepping outside, I glanced either direction down the street. Like before, I saw no monsters. The only movements came from the stationed soldiers. The walk to KaibaCorp would be boring.

And it was. By the time I stood underneath the tall building, I had passed over a dozen soldiers. The numbers of them had been increasing steadily over the past month. If it kept up at the current rate, the government would be in breach of their side of the compromise.

The front doors of KaibaCorp were never locked. After several attempts at breaking down the door and many broken windows, I just stop locking the doors. I doubted that I would ever use the building again, at least not any time in the near future, so I stopped caring whether any harm befell it.

Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. The lobby, which used to be pristine, had fallen into a state of disarray. When the slave market was shut down, the Light monsters moved that headquarters to KaibaCorp. A few of them loitered around the entrance. When they saw me, I went mostly ignored. One of the monsters pointed to an office behind them all.

None of the other monsters ever spoke to me. I took that as Krin's doing.

I walked to the room the monster pointed out, assuming that was where Krin was working. Upon entering, I found out that I was right. Krin sat at a desk in the base floor computer lab, but the computer in front of him was off. The monitor beside him showed that the computer to his right was on.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked, putting aside greetings while I sat down beside him.

"Pull up the video you had us show everyone," he answered.

I closed my eyes for a second and tried to remember the steps I had told Mokuba last month. My hand automatically moved to hold the mouse as I thought it over.

I began to go through the motions of opening the folder. It had taken Mokuba a while to find it, so perhaps Krin would believe that it would take me the same amount of time as well. If that was the case, then I could ask him more about Kray.

Staring at the screen, I said, "The Magician said he would tell everyone about Kray."

Krin made a grunting noise. He gave me no signs that he would continue, so I did. "He seemed as surprised as you were. Any reason for that?"

"Unexpected things are a surprise. Have you found it yet?"

"Not yet," I said. I clicked around a bit longer, opening and closing the same folder. "You never mentioned having another sibling."

"I wouldn't see how that relates to you."

"The three of you chose me," I said.

"Kray has no interest in you."

"How can you know that?" I asked. I assumed that the answer would be fairly straight forward. I only hoped for any information Krin might let slip.

"He would have found you by now otherwise." Krin broke each word off sharply, as though it was paining him to speak.

"Why is this such a sensitive subject for you?"

Krin turned to meet my gaze. His glare held every ounce of fury that I had ever seen in his features before. I understood that the subject wasn't sensitive, but far deeper than that. Krin's expression read more of danger than anything else.

"Just find me the video."

I stopped pretending to search the folders. Spinning in the chair to face him, I said, "Tell me what is going on."

A streak of lightning shot out from Krin's hand. It hit the opposite wall, turning the surface black. He curled his fingers into a fist and took a deep breath. Krin had to look away from me for a few seconds in order to calm down enough to speak.

"Do not give me orders."

Like Krin, I took a moment before answering. He and I were too similar to get along well.

"Can you answer a few questions? I'll stop pressuring you if you'll give me some information," I offered.

"One question."

"Three."

"Two."

Krin's nose wrinkled slightly. But then he groaned and muttered, "Agreed."

I thought over which two questions were the most pressing. My earlier question would be a waste. I didn't need Krin's opinions on his brother. I needed facts.

"Are there only the four of you?"

"Yes," Krin answered quickly.

For the moment, I didn't think about the coincidence between the four dragons and the four cards. If I hesitated too long, Krin might change his mind about answering my questions.

Dozens more jumped into my thoughts, but all of them could be shot down or stepped around. If I asked him about his take on Kray, I would likely receive an answer along the lines of Krin not being afraid of his brother. If I asked Kray's reason for being in town, I risked receiving an "I don't know." I needed to chose an answer that would be a simple yes or no.

Eventually, I decided on one.

"Should I be afraid of Kray?"

Krin took longer to answer that question. Not much longer, just enough that I found myself holding my breath while waiting for a response.

"Yes," he said. He didn't give me time to respond before he added, "Where is the video?"

* * *

I didn't wait three months to update! Spring break is in two weeks, so hopefully, I'll have time to update again during that break.

What's on the Blog: The usual. My thoughts on this chapter. The link is posted under my contact information on my profile.


	25. Twenty Five

**Havelock Vetinari:** I really don't know how to respond to your review. If I answer your question, well, it wasn't really a question, then I might give something away. You'll just have to wait and see.

**Stormygio: **I'm glad you're so interested! I'll be going over everything soon, of course. And thanks for the cupcake!

**Lace Kyoko**: Kray is supposed to be suspenseful. I think that suspense will end pretty soon. Actually, not this chapter, but in the next two, you'll find out much more about him.

**Everwild**: It's that exciting to see an update? Wow. I had no idea. I guess that means I should update more, huh? (Also, interesting emoticon. Haha) But every time I see a review in my inbox, my brain does the same thing. So, I can relate.

**Aqua-Princess**: Woah. You're impressive. I was quite literally amazed with your review. At least, with the first part. I guess it might be considered out of the blue for some people. But, still, woah.

**Dmitri Stormblood**: I'd love to see the rough draft. I'm interested to see what you came up with.

**Clarity2199**: It's impressive that you took the time to read a story that so frustrates you. I assure you, it wasn't my intention. But, thanks for upping my review count. Good luck with your own writing!

_**Author's Note**_: I just want to say a special thank you to all my fans. You people mean so much to me. This chapter likely would never have happened without those of you who gave me your positive thoughts about the last chapter. And all the chapters before this, actually. Hearing of your interest in my writing really makes me want to continue. Thank you for sticking with me! I dedicated a blog post to you! (Even though I wrote it months ago!)

* * *

**Seto**

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose as the group of people in the room erupted into shouts for the tenth time. Tensions had been brought about this time by Yami mentioning that the soldiers were breaking their contract by being in Domino in such large numbers. As much as I tried to block out their incessant complaining, I could still hear every unfortunate word.

"We need protection from these monsters!" someone shouted. I hadn't learned everyone's name.

"Good citizens of Domino!" Fredrick Moore, the officer in charge of all those stationed in the city, shouted. He held up a hand to silence the room.

"You have nothing to worry about," he said, once the room was quiet. "We are going nowhere. These beasts have no way to fight back against us, even if we do increase our numbers. Your protection is our priority."

That calmed the room considerably.

Next to me, Yami leaned back in his chair. We were sitting in the front of the meeting room of City Hall, along with Moore and Harrison. The location had been moved from the sub-level store to City Hall almost as soon as Moore and his men had arrived. I knew it was a well thought out change. Since there was no longer fear of leaving one's house, more people were in attendance.

I still hated going to them. The general majority of people had no connections to any monsters. Typically, Yami and I were the only two that had been chosen. Sometimes, though very rarely, someone else who had been chosen would show up. I understood why they didn't frequently attend.

People had the tendency to think that with the compromise, everything had gone back to normal. They assumed that since regulations were put on the monsters, we no longer had anything to complain about. The people who came were mostly concerned with how their lives were being affected. They were being inconvenienced by the monsters' presence. That was all that mattered to them.

If I didn't have to be here, then I wouldn't come either. Unfortunately, Moore decided that if Yami and I were not in attendance, then the monsters were in breach of the compromise. I tried to remain silent throughout.

At the last meeting, which had been the first since the compromise, someone had mentioned that the people who had been chosen no longer had anything to worry about. I had asked how she could know such a thing, since she had no experience on the subject. Her answer was that she simply knew it was so. Moore had cut me off before I could tell her exactly what I thought about her theory, then he took her position. With the soldiers' presence, he claimed, we had nothing to fear.

The only reason I was here tonight was to keep up the appearance that everything was normal. So far, no one had mentioned anything about Kray, though I doubted they would. If any of the citizens knew about him, then they, like myself, knew very little. If Moore knew, he wouldn't want to send panic among the people.

One good thing that had come out of these new meetings was the shortened duration. We now only met for a few hours instead of the all night spans. It was absurd how long Harrison had kept us before.

I also leaned back and crossed my arms. Yami glanced over, so I turned slightly so meet his gaze. His eyes widened the smallest bit as though to say, "This is ridiculous."

Glancing down at my watch, I noted that we had been at the meeting for less than an hour. The previous meeting had lasted three.

Yami tilted his head to check the time, so I turned my wrist for him to see. He sighed upon reading the time.

"We would be better off looking for the Items," he whispered.

I gave a short nod. Our time would be much better spent doing almost anything.

I was currently being faced with a conflict. I hated these meetings and didn't want to be present, but I also wanted to delay getting back to the house as long as possible. Kisara and Kara had this insane idea in mind, and I wanted no part of it. I knew that the moment I entered the house, they would attack me with it again. However, I would have no excuse out of it a second time.

"Did you find out anything else about Kray?" Yami whispered.

"Nothing that was helpful. Krin said that I need to be afraid of him," I said, keeping my lips as motionless as I could manage. "He wouldn't say why."

"Are you afraid?" Yami asked.

"I will not fear something that I know nothing about."

"Would you fear it anyway?"

I shrugged. "That's quite unlikely."

"Mr. Kaiba, the dragons have been keeping up their end, haven't they?" Moore questioned.

I turned to face him instead of the crowd in front of me. "Yes, they have been."

"And Mr. -" Moore started, then froze when he realized that he didn't know Yami's last name.

"The Magician and his men have kept their end as well," Yami answered.

Someone in the back of the room stood up. I didn't recognize his face, so I felt it was safe to assume that either I really had not been paying attention as any prior meeting, or this was his first time.

"My wife was killed yesterday," he announced.

For a few seconds, no one spoke. No one even moved as that statement sunk in.

"Killed by whom?" I asked, breaking the silence. My question triggered a series of mumbles through the crowd.

The man hesitated. Even from a distance, I could see the tears threatening to overflow. "You tell me," he eventually forced out. "I found her clothes piled a block away from our home. Next to them was a pile of bones." He stopped again and took a loud, shaky breath. "They had bite marks on them."

The crowd began whispering more forcefully to each other, working out quietly what they would mean for them. I couldn't speak. I could barely keep my mouth from opening in surprise. Next to me, Yami sat equally stunned. We had just said the monsters were upholding their end. How could that have happened?

Then I thought about the man's story. He said it happened yesterday. If that was the case, it aligned with Kray's arrival. If Kray was behind the attack, it explained why the dragons were so intent on keeping me away from him.

"It wasn't the Dark monsters," Yami said to me.

"It wasn't the Light monsters," I answered.

"Then who?" Yami asked.

"We can't jump to conclusions. We can't prove that they have been lying to us."

I noticed that the eyes of the room were focused on us. Even Moore glared in our direction with an accusatory expression. He had stood from his seat, so the glare was aimed downwards.

"Can either of you explain?"

I also got to my feet. I would not be lectured down to. When I stood, gasps sounded. Were they afraid that I was going to throw a punch?

"Neither side has broken the agreement. If it is as he says, then it must be something else."

"Something else?" the man exclaimed. "You think that a human _ate _my wife?"

Out of respect for his deceased spouse, I chose to speak calmly. "Was that what I said? There are monsters outside of this city, ones that have not agreed to the compromise. Any one of them could have crossed over."

"My wife is dead!"

"So you said!" I shouted back, losing patience.

I shifted my gaze across all in the room, making eye contact with every person before I went on. "Do not let this tragedy change your thoughts on the validity of the contract. Both Light and Dark monsters have upheld their end. If we breach on our side, then we are at fault."

"Why Mr. Kaiba, you sound as though you are on their side," Moore said.

"Mr. Moore, you appear to have forgotten what is at risk for these people," I said with a gesture to the crowd.

Moore sent a snarl in my direction. For the good of the people, the bomb threat was kept a secret from the majority. Only the four people at the main table knew about the true nature of the compromise. If everyone knew the threat, then they would attempt to flee the city. That would make people who had been chosen attempt to run, which would only bring about the attack sooner.

"Then tell me who could have kill his innocent wife?"

"Any other beast," I answered. "Why don't you look into before making accusations?"

"Believe me, we will."

We both slowly sat back down. The man in the crowd sat down as well. I had a momentary pang of guilt for treating the death of his wife so harshly. It hadn't been my intention, but the crowd had gotten to me. They were searching for any excuse to break the contract that was already hanging by a delicate thread. If he hadn't been using his wife's death as a reason for increasing tension, then I might have let it slide.

I wanted to leave, but I was required to stay until everyone had left. Yami and I had to walk Moore through the progress we were supposed to be making on closing the portal. For some reason, he wouldn't allow us to do so beforehand.

"How much longer do you think this will take?" Yami asked. The question was rhetorical. There was no possible way for me to tell.

"You haven't had time to look for the Items yet, have you?" I asked. Perhaps working out our plans would help the time pass more quickly. The rest of the people in the room could continue on without our listening.

"Not yet. Are you still planning to work at the hospital on Wednesday?"

I nodded. "They are very understaffed." I kept my eyes forward as I whispered my response.

"I think Joey is working Wednesday too. He has been going up there a lot in the past few weeks."

"Why don't you volunteer?" I asked. The number of volunteers was so slim, it was frustrating. None of the citizens in Domino seemed willing to work, even when it was so desperately needed.

"The Magician hasn't been letting me leave often. I will see if I can get out."

"I think I will take a look at the Game Shop Wednesday when I've finished at the hospital. I can assess the damage the monsters have done to it. Maybe then we will know how long it will take us to clear it away."

"Then I will try to get out Wednesday. I would like to get through the work at the Game Shop quickly."

"Do you know where the book is that Yugi was reading out of?"

Yami nodded. "We went back to the library a few days later and got the book. He put it in storage in the Game Shop's basement."

"Which is now covered with the remains of the building?" I asked.

"Exactly."

"I get the feeling this will be quite time consuming."

"Do you have time before next Sunday to work on it?" Yami questioned.

I thought over my schedule for the remainder of the week. "Mokuba has a doctor's appointment on Friday, so I will have to stay at the house then. But aside from that and the hospital, I should have the time."

"Moore is going to be irritated that we have made no progress since our last report," Yami muttered.

"Moore is always irritated. He can't do anything, so there is no reason for us to worry over his response."

I stopped speaking for just long enough to listen in on the actual meeting. Harrison was answering a question. "No, we have not yet received word on how long it will take for your home phones to be back in perfect operation."

My life had gone downhill so quickly. I missed the days of meetings actually being important or relevant. The only important things that we ever discussed seemed to be keeping the power on and food steadily coming. But those things didn't involve the citizens. It could be handled strictly by the government without their knowledge of it.

"Do you want to plan for Thursday?" Yami asked.

"I can do Thursday. I'll send you an email if something comes up."

The meeting continued until every person in the room had the opportunity to complain about something at least twice. Yami and I didn't speak for the rest of the time. There was nothing left to do but wait. That wait lasted over an hour and a half.

"Does anyone have anything else?" Harrison asked.

I held my breath while waiting for anyone to speak up. If everyone stayed quiet, then I was only a few minutes from heading back to the house. But then I remembered what was waiting at the house, and that dampened my excitement over the meeting coming to an end.

"Nothing? Then we will see you back here in a month. Rodney will send out the email with all the details."

And it was over. People stood up and began to mingle, and some left the room.

"Mr. Kaiba, Mr. -" Moore stumbled again over Yami's last name. Yami gave him no assistance.

Moore waited several seconds for an answer, but when he saw that he would receive none, he went on. "Will the two of you step over here with me?"

I contemplated what would happen if I said no. Most likely, Moore would just give me an odd glance and walk off, expecting me to follow along behind him. For my own sake, I just walked behind him to the adjoining room.

"Progress report," Moore demanded.

"We are working," Yami said. "You don't need to know more."

"Quite the opposite actually. I have to know everything."

"We are collecting the necessary items this week," Yami answered, making sure to keep exactly what items a secret.

"That isn't any more progress than you have made in the past month. If I didn't know any better, then I would say that you aren't trying at all. And with that defense of the monsters earlier, I am sensing a bit of attachment to the beasts."

"What you are sensing is common sense, Mr. Moore. There is no reason for us to tip them off to our work. We have to move slowly," I answered.

"And what do you know of that woman's death?" Moore asked.

"I know nothing of it aside from the Light monsters' innocence," I said.

"You will side against your own people?"

"I am not going to assume that the monsters broke the compromise just so that they could eat one person. It's a ridiculous theory."

Moore's jaw clenched tightly closed at my words. I doubted that he was interested in my opinions. His job was to keep order in the city. So a murder on his watch was not good for his reputation. Knowing what little that I did about Moore, I guessed that he wasn't concerned with the murder as much as its affect on him.

"You will continue to report to me on all that is going on. I want to know your every movement. If you do not report to me, then I will assign troops to follow you from the moment you leave your doorstep."

I had no interest in putting up with his threats any longer. I gave him no response before turning and walking out. He knew that I had been sending reports on a weekly basis. That wasn't going to change. All Moore was attempting was to exert authority over Yami and me.

Yami walked behind me. We went past the remaining people in the meeting room and out the door to head towards the exit.

"He won't last until the end of the year," Yami said. "He is searching for an opportunity to strike."

"Then we will just have to keep him occupied until then."

"How do you suggest doing that?"

"We will discover tomorrow that in order to close the portal, we need some rare artifact or element," I answered. "He will have no choice but to spend his time searching for it."

Yami chuckled halfheartedly. "How long would that hold him off? A week?"

"Hopefully long enough for us to find some real information to give him."

We reached the end of the street where Yami had to turn left and I had to continue straight. We stopped for a moment to finish the conversation, which I wanted to drag out to avoid returning to the house.

"And if we can't?" Yami asked.

We had been avoiding that question since the compromise was put into effect. Any time it was mentioned, the subject quickly died away. There was no room for us to fail. Since the dragons and the Magician knew about the bomb, they would move us out of the city before it occurred. But the rest of the population was uninformed. They believed that everything was getting back to normal. We still kept in touch with Maggie Nale. She told us that fewer people were trying to leave.

"We will."

Yami nodded once, but didn't seem to agree. "Good night, Kaiba." He then walked away.

I stayed at the street corner for a while longer. I stared in the direction of my house while I waited, willing Kisara to have forgotten. The odds of her forgetting were so incredibly low that it would take a miracle to occur. Maybe it would be over with quickly.

That nearly made me laugh as I continued to walk. Kara would likely get such a laugh out of it that she would press Kisara to carry on into the later hours.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Mokuba would likely side with Kara.

I would never admit to it, but I basically sulked the entire way home. I buried my hands in my pockets and stared at the ground. My mind was spinning with scenarios that could possible be an excuse to avoid going back. Nothing would work though. I would have to return eventually. The longer I delayed, the worse it would likely become.

Kisara was leaning beside the front door when I arrived. Her eyes lit up and when she jumped forward, small streaks of lightning burst from her hands.

"You're back!" she exclaimed.

I stopped walking again and seriously considered running. She was far too excited for this to turn out well. It worried me to the point that I did take a few steps back.

"No! Don't even think about it, Darling!" Kisara shouted.

She ran forward and quickly caught up with me. I couldn't do anything once she grabbed onto my arm. I did try to pull away, but she started shocking me, so I stopped fighting.

"Kisara, I can just talk you through this," I offered, but she didn't stop pulling me towards the door.

"Why do you even need this information?" I asked.

"Because I love you!" she shouted. She turned to face me, grinning. We had reached the front door, which was standing open.

Krin, Kara, Mokuba, and Kuriboh were all sitting on the couch. When Mokuba saw me, he smiled. The expression seemed to be that of the majority, as even Krin was smirking.

Kisara swung the door closed so that it slammed loudly, and shook the walls. She pushed me to the center of the living room. The coffee table which normally sat in the middle of the room had been moved to the side.

"Show me," Kisara said. She faced me and took hold of both of my hands.

"I don't see why you need to know this," I said.

Krin immediately said, "We are all waiting, Seto."

"You've got this, big brother."

I glared at Mokuba. He enjoyed my irritation far too much.

Since I was cornered and in Kisara's grasp, there was no way out. I did all that I could do.

"Put your hand on my shoulder," I instructed.

Kisara did so gladly. Then hand she released I moved to her waist. The touch sent a large grin to her lips. She immediately began to spin the two of us in circles.

"Am I doing it right?" she asked, never stopping.

"Not really," I answered. I leaned back so that we would be less likely to fall over as she continued to spin. Her smile faltered, and she used our joined hands to drag me back against her chest.

"This is spinning, not dancing. The agreement was for dancing."

"You aren't teaching me!" Kisara exclaimed.

"Then stop spinning."

Kisara reluctantly stopped. "Now what?"

"Little steps," I said, then began to explain the proper steps to dancing.

Kisara paid little attention. Any time we made it four steps without any mishaps, she declared herself an expert, then insisted that she didn't need my help any longer. But then she would promptly step on my foot or lose count. Her apologies were almost constant.

The laughter from the couch was almost constant as well. It came mostly from Mokuba, with Kara pitching in every time Kisara made a mistake. But even Krin chuckled occasionally. His weren't directed at Kisara, but at me. His came any time I opened my mouth to complain, but thought better of it.

We carried on in that manner for another hour. It was only when Kisara declared her feet to be made of fire that she let me go.

"I found that quite enjoyable," Kara stated. She got to her feet, then helped Mokuba to his. When I moved away from Kisara, she said, "We should practice that more."

* * *

. . .

Hey.

First of all, I'm super sorry. This is a short chapter that likely wasn't worth the wait. The problem is, the next chapter is really long, and this is the best place to break it off.

Secondly, I'm sorry again. My laziness overcame me, and I've spent basically all of my summer doing . . . well, nothing.

Thirdly, to everyone who is here with me still, I think you are cool. Thanks for reading.

Didn't do previews at one point? I think I did. So, here you go.

_**Preview**_: Seto goes to work at the hospital. Afterwards, he goes to speak with Yami. However, Red realizes that Seto may have some information he wants. And Red will do anything to make Seto talk.


	26. Twenty Six

Hello Again!

**Harvest Dragon: **Welcome back! Thanks for all the positive feedback. I love my OCs, even though they don't really feel like OCs anymore. I hope to hear from you again!

**knAngel18**: Thanks! And yeah, I'm still planning on that. It will be subtle. You won't really see it until later on.

**Sycoandcrazyinc**: Are you mad at me for this delay? Haha. Hope you like the chapter!

**TeresaShiho**: I'm glad that I can make you happy! Yes, Red is back. And he is not happy, to put it nicely. And the chapter is much longer than the last. Or at least, it feels a lot longer. Enjoy!

**Twilight PhoenixFyre**: Everyone seems to like the dancing scene. Haha. I just like being mean to my lovely Seto. And you don't have to sign in. It's cool. I appreciate that you reviewed!

**Stormygio**: I did have a lot of this chapter done. Then I got lazy. This chapter just had so much going on that it was taking ages. Thanks for the butter beer! I'll take you up on that deal. I've updated. You can review.

**Aqua-Princess**: I just like beating Seto up. It _may _get worse here in about . . . five-thousand words. Maybe I can change your opinion of Kray. Haha. Or not. You'll see him more soonish! Here's the longer chapter!

* * *

**Seto**

"I'm not working with him," I said. I crossed my arms as I made the statement, hoping the more severe posture would help enforce my point.

"Mr. Kaiba, as you cannot carry all those clipboards on your own, this is a two person job. Mr. Wheeler here-"

"Joey," Wheeler interrupted.

"Joey here," the doctor corrected. "Is my only other available volunteer. So unless you can carry and sort these on your own, you two are my team."

"I am more than capable-" I began, but the doctor shook his head and walked by me and Wheeler.

I bit my tongue. It would do no good to start a fight while volunteering at a hospital. I had already been insulted enough by being given such a simple task. Creating a scene and getting thrown out would very seriously injure my pride.

There was a pile of clipboards on the table in the hallway. I knew that the doctor was right when he said I would be unable to carry them at once, but I was willing to make additional trips in order to avoid working with Wheeler.

"Come on, Kaib'. It won't be so bad. How about I carry half and you do the talkin'?"

Joey reached out to the pile. "No," I said.

"I had a good plan," Wheeler argued.

"Perhaps," I said, stepping up to the table. "But they should be organized before beginning."

"How do you suppose we do that? There's gotta be like a hundred of them."

I examined the stack. "There are thirty-two."

"Oh! Look at Mr. Smart Boy the speed counter!"

I flipped my eyes over to glare at Wheeler, but found that I couldn't even muster the energy to do so. "Thirty-two patients on the hall. The other volunteer took them out during his rounds. Thus, thirty-two clipboards."

"Why'd he do that?"

"People are idiots. Alphabetize," I said, pointing a finger at the stack.

"Man, Kaib', you're bossy even as a volunteer."

I ignored him, having spoken to Wheeler too much as it was. I went straight to searching through for the names at the first half of the alphabet.

"Have ya talked to Yami lately?" Wheeler asked. He too started with the clipboards.

"Monday."

"How's he? The Magician don't let me see him."

"Doesn't," I corrected.

"Huh?"

I stopped messing with the clipboards long enough that I could scratch at my nose. "The Magician _doesn't_ let me see him," I explained.

"Uh, ya just said ya saw him Monday."

I turned to Wheeler in disbelief. Then I remembered who I was speaking to, so I went back to organizing. "I did," I said.

He threw his hands up, dropping the clipboards as he did so. "Now ya just talkin' circles."

I looked through the stack Wheeler had been holding. "F doesn't go near M."

"I know that! I was just, ya know, organizin'."

"Just get it done."

"You're a grouchy volunteer," Wheeler mumbled.

"So you have already established," I said.

Wheeler did return to sorting the clipboards. However, his mouth was not able to remain closed for more than a minute.

"How'd the meeting go? I couldn't make it."

"You didn't miss much."

"Those things are boring."

"Yes," I muttered under my breath. "Quite tiresome."

I finished with my half, then began to take the clipboards from Wheeler's hands. He didn't complain, but dropped them to allow me to do all the work. I would have said something if not for Wheeler's incompetence. It would be faster to do it alone.

"How's little Kaib's foot?" Wheeler leaned back against the table. He watched the nurses move along the hallway as I sorted.

"It's his ankle, and it's healing. Can you walk him to his doctor's appointment Friday?" I asked, though I knew the answer.

"Sure thing! Dragons still don't let ya out together?"

"Correct."

I put the last of the clipboards in place, then split the stack in two. I handed the second half to Wheeler. "This is N through Z."

Wheeler took the armful. "Who is first?" he asked. He leaned over to look at the name on my top clipboard.

"Not alphabetical. We will start at the end of the hall."

"Why?"

"If we go in this order," I said, slightly lifting up my stack. "Then we will be constantly going up and down the hall."

"Why'd we sort them?"

'_We,_' I thought sardonically. "So when we get to the room, the proper papers will be easy to locate."

"I don't get it."

"Just follow me," I said. I then proceeded to move to the end of the hallway. It was a short distance since there were only eight rooms in total in the hall.

The first room we entered had four women in the four beds. Three of them talked excitedly to one another. The other one of them was asleep. I was impressed at how soundly she slept, with the other three woman talking over her.

"Good mornin'!" Wheeler greeted.

"Technically, it is afternoon," I said.

"Oh, hello gentlemen!" one of the women said.

"We're volunteers," I said, ignoring her comment. "The last volunteer took all your paperwork and we are returning it."

"See, Martha? I told you the man was making a mistake." The lady who spoke turned to talk to me and Wheeler. "I had told them when that no-good volunteer came through that he didn't know anything at all. He looked like a dog about to be eaten by all those monsters."

I waited until she had finished before saying, "If you give us your names, you can get back to your conversation."

"Dear, you two are welcome here however long you'd like."

"Unfortunately," I said, trying to maintain a polite tone when I was already sick of speaking with them. "We have other rooms to get to. What is your name?" I asked the first woman.

"It's Martha F. Pensburry. Don't let the middle initial fool you. I'm single."

"That's you, Wheeler."

"Right!" He said, then tried to flip through the clipboards to find the right one. While he searched, I moved to the next woman.

"And your name?" I asked.

Wheeler located Pennsbury's paperwork, but just held out.

"In the bin," I said as I pointed to the container at the foot of the bed.

"I'm Shelby Ferguson. That's F-E-R-"

I lifted my fingers up in a motion to make her stop. Then I ran my fingers over the top of each clipboard until I came across it.

"Ferguson." I dropped it in the container.

The next woman was the sleeping one. Her face was pale and glistened with sweat. I didn't want to wake her up since she actually seemed ill, unlike her roommates. So instead of waking her, I asked, "Her name?"

Pennsbury spoke up. "I'll trade her name for yours." After speaking, she gestured to both me and Wheeler.

"Kaiba," I stated.

My name had desired effect. The three awake women made quiet gasping sounds and glanced away from me.

Wheeler snorted. Apparently, he found the women's reaction amusing. I didn't blame him. Even I had to hold back smirk.

"And her name?" I asked again.

"It's Amelia Winder," the last lady said quickly.

"Great, and your name?" I asked, ready to be out of the room.

"Patricia Grant."

Wheeler and I found their papers. Once they were back in their proper locations, I nodded once to the women, then left.

Wheeler followed me out. "A bit harsh, eh Kaib'?"

"Not at all. Why shouldn't I take advantage of people's stupidity?"

"They weren't stupid," Wheeler argued.

"No? What reason do they have two be wary of me in this setting? Am I going to summon _my_ dragons to attack anyone who dares to hit on me?"

"Ain't one of those dragons in love with ya?"

I stopped just outside the next room. "So she claims."

"Then maybe they do have a good reason to be afraid of ya."

I chose not to answer, but instead enter the next room. To my relief, the patients were all male.

The rest of the rooms proceeded smoothly. Aside from the first room, none of the other patients gave us any problems. Even Wheeler became more adept at sorting through the clipboards and his stack.

By the time we finished however, Wheeler was complaining.

"What kind of the dumb volunteer moved these freakin' papers? How did that seem like a smart plan?"

I took a moment to lean against the wall. I had been at the hospital for four hours, which was an hour longer than I planned to stay. Working with Wheeler made it feel like an eight-hour shift. I was ready to leave.

"Kaib'? Ya zonin' out?"

"No Wheeler, I'm not. I am about to leave, however."

"Why? There's more to do!"

"There always is. I'll be back next Wednesday."

Wheeler frowned and looked up and down the hallway. He folded his arms and scratch at an elbow. Then, he jumped me.

I was too late, and for the second time in a month, Wheeler locked me into a hug. "Man, Kaib'! Ya just never know when you'll see someone again in this crazy city!"

"Get off," I said forcefully. Luckily, Wheeler failed to trap my arms as he did the previous time. I shifted around to where my hands could work between us. In one solid push, I shoved him back.

I gave him no goodbye, having decided that the physical assault would suit. I just walked away, only stopping to sign out and return my badge.

The hospital was relatively close to the ruins of the Game Shop. It was only three blocks over, so my walk didn't take long. I stopped once on the way to watch two of the stations officers. They were speaking with a citizen, which was unusual. Most always, they simply stood on a street corner and observed. So them speaking caught my attention.

The three men were in my path, so I needed to pass by them to reach my destination. I didn't think too much of it until they saw me.

Their conversation died. They cast their eyes down to watch their feet.

"Good afternoon," I said in passing. I didn't stop. It was obvious they didn't want me around.

"Mr. Kaiba," one of the officers said. His greeting came across as a mumble.

Once I had passed, they still had not picked up their discussion, at least, not that I heard. I wondered if they assumed I was simply ignorant, or if they really believed that I couldn't tell what they were talking about.

Yami and I likely didn't have until the end of the year.

The Game Shop had no resemblance to a shop. The walls had caved in, covered by the remains of the roof. I stepped up to the sign which sat on the ground, scattered in pieces. I spotted the occasional box that had faded colors. I guessed those had once been the product on the shelves. Then I saw the shelves, also mixed in the pile.

Yami had mentioned there being a basement area where Yugi kept the Items. Getting to anything at the bottom would be time-consuming. It would also be difficult, requiring more than just two people. Whatever we did would draw attention.

I kicked some of the rubble around. There wouldn't be much I could do today. I didn't want to uncover anything of importance because I couldn't take the chance of it falling into the wrong hands. Since I planned on going to Yami's house next, I couldn't carry anything with me.

The most I could do was walk the perimeter of the ruins. The roof and walls had everything well-covered. It made me feel a bit better about the Items still being buried. Nothing seemed to to have been moved.

I didn't stay long. After walking around once, I had seen all that I needed to.

Then I made my way to Yami's. I checked my watch as I went. I had just over an hour until I told Krin I would be back. Speaking to Yami would only take about two minutes, so I had plenty of time.

Usually when they gave me a return time, I had no problem meeting it. I would rather hang out with Mokuba then be out running errands. It was very rare that I even came close to being late.

I knocked upon reaching the door. Then, as is my habit, I stepped back to put distance between myself and whomever open the door.

A few seconds later, it was opened. Red stood on the other side and glared.

"What?" he asked harshly.

"I need to speak to Yami."

"So speak," Red said. I watched his chest rise and fall with a heavy breath.

I tilted my head to the side and saw Yami. He was on the floor with the Magician. Both knelt on hands and knees, playing Twister.

I couldn't hold back the smirk. Yami hadn't moved from his right-hand red position, but was staring at me with what I took as embarrassment.

"Busy?" I asked.

"No-" Yami began, and I could tell that he was about to push himself up, but the Magician quickly said, "you move, you lose!"

Yami stayed where he was. "Did you go by?" he asked.

The Magician reached over to spin the pointer, then put his hand back on the green dot. "Right foot blue," he announced.

"I did," I answered. They had yet to invite me in, so I spoke over Red. He hadn't moved since the last time he spoke, but just stood with his eyes locked on me taking the same deep breaths over and over.

"And?" Yami moved his right foot to the blue spot.

"We'll need more than just us."

"I'll ask them. Sunday?"

"Sure, Sunday." With nothing else to say, at least not in front of the two monsters, I decided to leave. I added an, "enjoy your game," before walking away.

"I'm leaving," Red stated. He spoke loudly enough that I heard it several yards off. My pace quickened in response. It was more subconscious than anything. Red made me uneasy.

"Dragon-boy!" Red called out. He tone hadn't lost the severity it bore inside the Magician's house.

I didn't want to stop walking. However, I had no interest in further upsetting the dragon.

When I stopped, he was immediately beside me. I hadn't been this close to him, at least, not without a blindfold, so I had never noticed the eerie glow of his eyes. They were a deep red, but somehow, still bright. He leaned in closer, and I was certain that I felt heat emerging from them.

"Where is he?" Red asked.

"Where is who?" I deflected, taking a step back.

"The boy." Red closed the distance.

I cast a glance to either side, searching for an exit. The streets were abandoned as far as I could see. I used to prefer the emptiness, but now I felt trapped, with no one to call to should I need help.

"I don't know who you are referring to."

I looked back over my shoulder. Right behind me was a crafting store. The door and the windows were shattered. Even so, it was still small enough of an opening that Red would only be able to follow in human form. It wasn't really much of an advantage.

"I can smell him on you," Red pressed. He moved even closer, until the heat from his eyes actually stung my cheeks.

My thoughts drifted to Wheeler forcing me into a hug. Aside from realizing who Red meant, I became overwhelmingly disgusted that I had Wheeler's smell on me. I must have physically reacted, because Red said, "There. I can see it. You know who I want."

"No, I don't," I said. I had backed up as much as I could. Any further and he might realize what I was doing, then stop me.

His eyes narrowed. "I know that you are incapable of understanding this, but I _have _to know where he is."

Red stopped to smile, an expression clearly foreign on his face. "You will tell me, dragon-boy."

His hand erupted into flames.

"Krin?" I called out, looking past Red and across the street. In response, the fire on Red's hand disappeared, and he turned his head to look.

I took off running, knowing that I would only have about two seconds of a head-start. If the craft store had no back exit, then I would be in far worse shape than before. But I didn't waver as I ran through the doors. I didn't look back.

I could hear Red's angry shouts as he ran behind me. I had flashbacks of running through KaibaCorp to escape the dragons. This was much more difficult. The Blue-Eyes had no intentions of killing me, but I didn't think that was the case for Red.

I ran through a narrow aisle in the hopes that Red would run a different way. The only fairly reassuring thought was that Red wanted something from me. I had some time to stall if he caught me.

I barely had time to slam the back office door closed before Red came to the other side. I held the knob tightly and leaned against the door as I reached with my other hand to lock it.

The knob rose in temperature quickly, before I had the chance to let go. My immediate reaction would have been to release my grip, but since doing so would cause far worse pain than the burns already on my hand, I held on and flipped the lock into place. I shook it as if to shake away the burn. Stepping away from the door, I turned to examine the room I had run in to.

It was just an office, no second door. However, there was a window that opened to the other row of buildings. There was a small space between that had a width so limited that it couldn't even be considered an alley.

Because the space was so small, no monsters had come through to break the window. That was left to me.

I saw smoke spreading out around my feet. I glanced back to the door and noted that the bottom half was on fire.

I grabbed a paper weight off the desk and threw it at the window. It cracked out in several directions, but didn't fully break. I didn't have time to waste.

I ran the short distance to the window and closed my eyes. I winced even before I slammed my fist into the glass. Exhaling sharply, I peeked my eyes open. My fist had gone through the glass. Though I had to run, the door had nearly burned down. I froze to stare at the mess my hand had become. Small pieces of glass were buried inside, and it looked as though several larger pieces had torn through.

I kicked the rest of the glass out so I could fit through. By the time I had enough cleared away, I could hear Red trying to force the door down. He was too close.

I jumped out the window and began running down the narrow space. I had to move with my body sideways, and I held my hurt hand against my chest. I couldn't think about the pain.

By the time I reached the street, I knew that Red had gotten through. I heard a large explosion, then felt heat stinging at my cheek. Since I was out of the space, I spared a moment to see Red's progress. Instead, I saw flames coming out the window.

I didn't wait to see Red follow.

Being on an open street had a great disadvantage. As soon as Red got out of the store, he would be able to transform. If I was within sight then, it would be nearly impossible to break away.

So I had to choose between distance and cover. The balancing of the two would be key. I spent about three seconds debating before I came to a decision.

I ran across the street to an electronics store. I could see the door was not completely closed, so I would have no problems getting in. But since the door wasn't broken, I would be able to close it behind me.

I double checked to make sure that Red hadn't come out before I hid. When I saw that he hadn't, I entered the store, then locked the door behind me.

There were large window displays that I could sit behind. It would likely be safer to hide in the back, but I wanted to see. I would be more anxious if I was blind to my surroundings.

I chose to sit in the corner, pressed against the wall and concealed behind a large display of laptops. Only seconds later, Red slid out from between the buildings.

He glanced in every direction. Any time his gaze neared me, my breathing stopped. My hands pushed against the floor with such force that my knuckles burned and the flow of blood increased. Red had to see me. He was looking too close not to see.

But he kept moving. I waited until Red was far out of sight. Even then, I stayed frozen. I knew better than to leave once I lost sight of the dragon. I had seen enough of Mokuba's horror movies to know that was always when someone got killed. My best option would be to wait here until I was certain that he was truly gone.

One glance at my watch and I knew that wasn't a possibility. I was down to thirty minutes until my curfew. I had to make it back to the house before then.

I crawled forward on hands and knees to peer out the window in the direction that I couldn't see. I wanted to check both ends of the road before making any attempt to leave my hiding place. I moved as close to the window as I could manage before tilting my head to look to my left.

I immediately rocked backwards. Red was leaning against the wall right next to the window. I closed my eyes while trying to visualize how he could have looped around without my seeing him. Red must have decided, like me, that this was a good location for watching the road.

I backed away slowly. My only hope was that I could find a back exit. If Red stayed where he was long enough, I might have a chance to escape.

I felt the crash before it happened. My initial reaction was to freeze as my face distorted into a wince. The shelf behind me had completely vanished from my thoughts, which was the reason that I was seconds away from being discovered. I cursed my stupidity.

The items on the shelf clattered against the floor, almost all of them hitting at the same time. It might as well have been gun fire for the noise it made.

Once everything had fallen silent, I looked at the window. Red stood facing me, staring down with a smirk.

I pushed myself up. Before I had the chance to turn and look for a second exit, Red had slammed his hand through the window. On reflex, my arm shot up to cover my eyes as the glass fragments flew through the air.

When I moved my arm down, Red stood in front of me.

"Where is he?" he demanded.

"I don't know-" I paused to take a deep breath. "-who you are referring to."

"You're lying."

Red jumped forward. I barely had a second to dive to the side, but I managed to evade him. I sprinted through the shop to the front entrance, keeping my head down in case Red decided to use his flames again.

Something hit my back and I went falling through the door and to the street. I tried to catch myself, but my hands had already taken too much damage. I held back a cry of pain when they hit the pavement.

Red grabbed a fistful of my hair and threw me back. My head smacked the ground and I saw a bright flash of light. It burned my eyes. I couldn't focus on anything.

I vaguely made out Red kneeling down next to me. But I felt his knee rest down on my stomach to pin me down. "Tell me, dragon-boy. I have to know."

I blinked several times to try to clear my vision. Wheeler would never be able to pay me back for this.

I tried to shake my head, but the pavement scratched against the back of it. I answered instead. "Who are you talking about?"

He reached out a hand, and it seemed like he was about to claw at my face. But just inches away, he stopped and curled his fingers into a fist. I watched his hand instead of his face.

"You don't understand," Red said. "You can never understand." A sense of urgency and desperation grew in his voice. "You don't know how lucky you humans are. You don't have this-" his fist moved to his chest. "-this pain. I need him."

"I can't help you," I said.

"You will," Red said. He brought the flames back. I watched as he brought them closer to my face. Maybe protecting Wheeler wasn't worth the trouble.

"This is unfortunate."

The fire next to my face disappeared. Red turned his head at the unexpected voice. Even I angled my head to see who had spoken.

Kray stood in the middle of the street, rubbing a hand on the side of his neck. When Red recognized him, he moved the hand that had previously been in flames to press against my throat. His knee still dug into my stomach.

"The problem is, I can't pretend I didn't see this. If I did, and Kisara found out, well, she would never come with me."

"This doesn't involve you!" Red shouted. He pushed down harder as he spoke. I choked under the added pressure.

Kray's sigh was audible, even with the large space between us. "Yeah, it does. The boy leaves with me," Kray said.

Red looked down at me and met my eyes. "You can have him when I'm finished." His other hand sparked into fire. I tried to get away from the heat, but the grip on my throat grew so strong that I couldn't breathe.

"I can't let you hurt him," Kray said. He sounded bothered by having to become engaged in the situation.

"If he would cooperate, I wouldn't have to."

The fire moved too close and it began to sting my skin. But then it moved even closer. The flames lapped out, finding their target on my skin. I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth to combat the pain.

Then it stopped. Red was thrown halfway across the street. I tried to push myself up, but found that I couldn't. Coughs took over as I worked to regain the ability to breathe.

I rolled onto my side to see Kray standing between me and Red. His hands were raised to eye level, both glowing with energy.

"Leave," he ordered.

"Not without my answer," Red said. He jumped forward and transformed in mid-air.

Kray wasted no time in doing the same. They collided in an explosion of lightning and fire, sending waves of each in all directions. Both resulted in flames when they hit, and I had to quickly pat out a small fire on my sleeve. After doing so, my already-injured hands were red and blistered, but I still pushed myself up.

Red was distracted in his fight, which would provide me a chance to slip away.

But the moment that I had taken a step, Red sent out a tunnel of fire directly in front of me. The impact knocked me back several steps, and my feet bumped into the store's outer wall. I looked up to see Red fighting Kray while keeping his eyes on me.

I knew what the outcome of the fight would be. A Blue-Eyes was more powerful than a Red-Eyes. Though Red had a strong motivation, that wouldn't give him enough of an advantage to overtake the other dragon.

Watching the dragons fight was far different than I ever could have imagined. I had designed holograms to visualize exactly what I was witnessing, but none of them held in comparison. The fight was so real. It wasn't settled in one deciding blow like how it would have happened in the game. They were actually fighting to injure, if not kill the opponent.

Just because Kray was stronger didn't mean that he escape uninjured. That was the most unrealistic aspect of Duel Monsters. The stronger monster never took damage from a weaker one. But here, both dragons cried out with every hit they took. Whenever Kray roared in what I assumed was pain, he instantly sent out a streak of lightning from his throat.

They spent a great amount of time locked in each others' grips. They rolled through the sky, wings pounding heavily to keep them elevated. As they tumbled above me, I had a clear view of how much they relied on their claws to attack. One of Kray's hands had torn into Red's shoulder. His claws were completely buried inside Red to hold him in place while another scratched at his face.

Red, having no use of the arm Kray immobilized, attacked more with his teeth. He snapped around Kray's head, looking for an opportunity to clamp down on his opponent's neck. Fire spilled out of his free hand, but Red didn't use the flames. They fell to the ground, some falling dangerously close to me.

Because of the nature of their fight, the entire street had been set on fire. It had effectively pinned me against the building where I stood, leaving me no option but to wait out the fight.

I followed their every move, so I saw before Red did that Kray's tail was tensing for a strike. I caught myself holding my breath as I waited.

Kray made two moves simultaneously. The claws in Red's shoulder came out with force, breaking the rhythm of Red's wings, and right as Red began to drop, Kray's tail came around and hit Red directly on his chest. The result had him falling rapidly backwards to slam down onto a rooftop.

Red was back on his feet within seconds. His head moved back while his neck remained straight, then he spread his jaws to release a fire blast.

Kray tried to dodge it, but Red shot out a continual stream that followed Kray's movements. The blast caught up to Kray and set to one of his arms.

Kray howled with the pain, but the damage didn't slow him down. He flew up higher, out of Red's range, and positioned himself right above the roof Red was on. He then dove down, straight down, as though to land on Red.

Red took to the air to meet him. Their impact sounded of thunder, echoing between the buildings until it rang louder.

I glanced away to check on the state of the flames that surrounded me. They were growing closer by the minute, but the only place for me to run was back inside the store. I didn't want to risk getting trapped inside the building. That would have to be a last resort. Whoever won the fight, which I very strongly believed would be Kray, had to get me out. I needed to stay where he could see me.

Both dragons growled and roared while they attacked. From their physical state, I guessed the fight might continue for another minute. There was too much blood between the two of them. With that amount of blood, the injuries had to be piling up. The next powerful move could decide the winner.

Red broke away from Kray to fly back a few buildings' lengths. Since Red's body was black, it was difficult to see the extent of his injuries, but large drops of blood fell down from his wings as they pulsed.

Across from him, Kray too appeared to have several serious wounds. One of his front legs hung limply in the air, its surface a deep red. Blood covered the rest of his body, aside from his wings, in splotches.

It was quiet for a while. As best as I could tell, they were gathering energy for the last attack. My eyes darted between them, wanting to see who would make the first move.

It was Kray. On a downward beat of Red's wings, Kray opened his mouth and released a white lightning attack. Red countered with his own fire blast a second later.

The two attacks hit, created a louder noise than the dragons' bodies had with the collision. The mixture of lightning and fire was nearly as bright as when one of the Blue-Eyes shifted forms, so I had to squint in order to continue watching. In the middle, where the fire met energy, it was hard to distinguish between the two.

For about half a minute, the center didn't move. Both dragons kept up their attack at full strength. But then slowly, the center began edging towards Red. The closer it got, the faster it began to move. Red was losing strength while Kray managed to maintain his energy.

Right when the lightning was about to reach Red, the fire disappeared and Red stopped moving his wings so that he fell out of the way of the attack. Kray's mouth snapped closed, ending the lightning, but he hovered in the air where he had been.

Red picked back up his flight and stared down at me for several long moments. But an intimidating growl came from Kray, met with a similar one from Red, and then Red turned and flew away.

Kray collapsed onto the nearest rooftop. As soon as his feet touched down, his head fell so that he could rest. I understood that he had to be exhausted, but the fire had moved close enough to me that the occasional flame would singe my clothing. If I backed into the store now, Kray wouldn't be able to get me out without going through the flames himself.

"Kray!" I shouted, hoping that he could hear me from the distance.

He heard. His head first twisted to look at me, then he noticed my predicament. With one jump, he reentered the air and flew above me.

He descended to where his tail was within my reach. He couldn't get enough of it down to where it could grab me at the waist, so I had to lift up my arms and hook my fingers around one of the ridges on his tail. I used both hands to help ease the pain that dangling from my mutilated hands caused. It barely helped.

Kray ascended and I groaned as my hands supported my weight. Kray must have known that I wouldn't be able to hold on for long, because he flew just high enough that he could move to the side without dragging me through the fire. Once we were clear of it, he lowered me to the street.

He didn't lower me gently, so I ended up stumbling backwards. When I hit a wall, I just slid down it to sit on the sidewalk. My heart was racing from what all had just happened. I pulled my knees up and laid my head on top of them while Kray transformed.

He walked up. "How hurt are you?" he asked. He didn't actually sound concerned.

I lifted up my palms. "This is the worst of it." Then I raised my head back up.

Kray was far more hurt than I was. His hair now had red running through it to accompany the black streaks. The blood dripped down his face, where it met with the blood from more cuts. He sported several burns on all the skin I could see, but the majority of injures were on his right arm, which was burned from shoulder to fingertips.

"It is getting dark. We should get off the street."

I flipped my hand over to look at my watch. I was late.

"I have to go home. They are expecting me."

Kray shook his head. "We can't be outside when the sun sets."

"You don't have to come with me. I'll go on my own," I said.

"No. You won't. I did not go through all of that to have you e-" he hesitated, then changed his mind about whatever he had been intending on saying. "It is too dangerous for you to be out after dark. I won't save you again." His jaw clenched and unclenched as his eyes burned down at me.

I pushed myself up, relying heavily on my back and feet, and keeping my hands against my chest. "And I can't risk what they will do if I'm not back home tonight," I said, thinking of Mokuba. He must be aware of the time. He had to be worried.

"It is too far. I am hurt. You can't go on your own," Kray said, listing off his facts with no emotion behind the words.

No matter what he had just done for me, I could not risk Mokuba being killed over this. "They will kill my brother," I said. I knew he cared about Kisara, so I hoped to play to that emotion. "I was supposed to be at the house six minutes ago."

It didn't faze him. "They won't do anything. Not tonight anyways." He glanced away to check the sun. "We have to get inside."

"You don't know that."

"I do. I'll get you back to my baby brother and sisters at daylight."

"They will-" I began, but Kray interrupted.

"No. I'm not arguing this with you. We maybe have ten minutes to get hidden before things out here get messy. I live a street down. We are going there."

I tried to argue again, but he grabbed onto my arm with his good hand. "Now."

* * *

**Mokuba**

Krin walked passed my room for the third time. As he did so, he paused just long enough to look at me and shake his head before continuing on into the living room. I could see the anxiety written on his face, just as clearly as if he had taken a Sharpie to his forehead to write, "I'm worried because Seto is late."

I tried not to worry. Seto must have had a good reason for breaking his curfew. It had never happened before since he was so wary of it. I knew that he wouldn't do anything that might result in the dragons following through on their end of the agreement. My brother wouldn't let them hurt me.

But every time that Krin walked by, I felt my resolve fade slightly. No matter what I wanted to believe, Seto was late, and I didn't know why.

Kuriboh too was nervous. He sat on the bed next to me, one of his claws scratching the comforter. He had been scratching the same spot for about an hour now, so he had torn a whole through the comforter, sheets, and was now working on the mattress. I couldn't complain. If I didn't have a broken ankle, I would be pacing the room.

Instead, I had to stare at the clock.

Seto was half an hour late. Being one or two minutes late wouldn't have been such a terribly big deal, but this was excessive. Something must have happened. But I didn't know what. There was nothing in his schedule that should have held him this late.

If something had happened at the hospital, it wouldn't be Seto's responsibility to deal with it. Even if someone was dying in one of the rooms, I knew Seto would leave that person alone to get back to me in time. Nothing at the hospital would keep him.

The dragons didn't know it, but Seto was going to Yami's house after the hospital. I could see that holding him back a little. After all, the Magician had kidnapped him before.

I corrected that thought. The Slaver kidnapped him. The Magician just used him as a hostage.

But even so, the Magician had the type of personality to force Seto to stay late, just to get him in trouble.

Seto would know better. If at all possible, he wouldn't go inside.

I closed my eyes, hoping that would prevent anymore "Seto would" or "Seto wouldn't" thoughts. They were only managing to cause me stress.

I ran my fingers through Kuriboh's hair, trying to find an outlet for my nervous energy. Kuriboh must have been caught up in his own head, because he didn't react.

Krin walked by again. I met his eyes, which kept him standing in the doorway a moment longer. Since he delayed, I asked, "He's still not here?"

"No," he said, then walked away.

I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling. My good foot pumped on some silent rhythm. I tasted blood inside my mouth, then realized that I had been chewing on my lip for a while. I switched the chew on the other side.

Then Kisara came to stand at the door. Her eyes were red. I had heard her crying earlier, so it was no surprise.

"May I sit with you?" she asked. I remembered Seto telling her to sit with me if ever she worried about him not coming back.

"Of course," I said, trying not to let my concern leak into my voice. If I sounded confident, maybe they wouldn't take any drastic action.

She walked to the bed and sat down. My crutches were leaning against the bed where she climbed on, so she pushed them aside. Then a few seconds later, she scooted back so that she rested against the wall with me.

"He's never been late," she said. I couldn't tell if she was talking to herself, or if I was actually supposed to answer. Since I was trying to be confident, I chose to respond.

"He'll be here. Maybe the battery in his watch died."

She shook her head. "I don't know what that means."

I gave her as honest of a smile as I could. "It's how he knows the time. If it got messed up, he could just not know he is late."

She looked at me. "It is sunset, Mokuba. He knows."

I wanted to remain optimistic, but I knew she had a valid point. Wherever Seto was, he knew that he had missed curfew.

"You don't think-" she stopped to hold back her tears. But when she started to speak again, her voice was weak. "What if something happened?"

"He was working at the hospital. What could have happened?"

She clutched at her hair, twisting the strands around her fingers. "If nothing happened, why isn't he here? He swore. He swore that he wouldn't run away."

I twisted the top half of my body around to face her. "Kisara, he didn't run away. He wouldn't do that. He has a reason for not being here yet."

"Oh? Then where is he?"

Kara leaned against the door frame. She was completely motionless, with the exception of her foot which tapped back against the frame. Kara didn't look at me, but down at her crossed arms.

Even Krin returned to stand just outside my room. My breath caught when I realized that they were all hovering around me. They too must have Seto's promise in mind.

"Well, he didn't just go to the hospital," I answered. It might have been a bad idea, but I couldn't let them think that Seto had run away. It was better for them to assume the Magician had done something to prevent Seto from getting back in time.

"What do you mean?" Kisara asked. All three dragons stared at me. I felt Kuriboh tense next to me.

"He was going to the Magician's house."

Krin's eyes widened. His head turned in the direction of the living room, but he didn't speak.

"Why?" Kisara asked.

"To talk to Yami about something. I don't know what." I was so glad that Seto didn't tell me why he needed to go. He could explain it when he got back. '_When he got back,_' I silently repeated.

Kisara jumped off the bed. "We have to go get him," she said.

"We don't know he is still there," Kara said. "He could have run."

"We can't take the chance. He's late, and he is out there," Kisara said. When her siblings didn't respond, she added. "With _them._"

I didn't understand her inflection. The Magician and the Blue-Eyes were on relatively fair terms. Kisara shouldn't be worried about the Magician doing anything to Seto. Of course, to save my life, I was banking on them panicking, but I still couldn't make sense of it.

"But we can't go out either. There are too many," Kara argued.

"But we can't just do nothing!" Kisara shouted. She ran to Krin and clutched his arm.

"Krin, please. Seto could be hurt."

"He isn't. We would know."

"Then-" Kisara began. She looked back at me. I had to turn my head away. Her expression was so obvious that I could almost read her thoughts. "How long do we give him?"

My eyes started to burn. I couldn't help it. Why wasn't Seto back yet?

Krin didn't respond, but gestured with his chin for his sisters to follow him into the next room. When they walked out of sight, I closed my eyes. When I did, tears that I didn't realize had built up fell. I rubbed them away quickly.

Kuriboh shifted closer. I looked over at him and saw the concern on his face too. I hadn't thought about it before, but he should be almost as anxious as me. I guess that I just didn't take him as seriously as the other monsters because he was unable to speak. But Kuriboh had come with the dragons to find Seto and me. He locked Seto out to keep me alone, and he agreed to the compromise just like the rest of them.

"It'll be okay," I whispered. "He will come back."

Then Krin walked back in. He stormed forward and stood at the edge of the bed.

"Do you really believe that he will return?" Krin asked.

"Of course. Seto won't let anything happen to me."

Krin waited long enough to take a deep breath before saying, "We'll see."

He took a step back and his eyes fell down. I followed his gaze to where they landed on my crutches. I had kept them within reach, for when I needed to get up. Krin reached out and grabbed them. He put his arm through the holes and sat them on his shoulder.

I couldn't get a read on his expression. From the set of his mouth, he seemed angry. His knuckles were white in their grip on the crutch. But his eyebrows were slightly raised. They were two conflicting emotions represented.

He left, crutches in tow. Krin closed my door as he walked out.

Then it happened. I burst into tears and lost control of my breathing at the same time. I tried to keep quiet to prevent the dragons from knowing how terrified I was, but it was hard. They were going to kill me.

Kuriboh moved even closer, almost into my lap. If Kuriboh wanted to comfort me, I would accept it. I took the opportunity to grab fistfuls of his hair, and I buried my face into it.

Where was Seto?

* * *

Hello All. I hope this chapter has somewhat made up for the fact that I delayed like, forever in updating. Thanks to all of you who reviewed during that time, because those reviews **definitely **motivated me to write. I've been waiting for this next chapter for a while, which is good and bad. It is good because it is going to be so important for the rest of the plot. Like, everything happens in it. And it is bad, because I'm going to make sure I write it correctly. So, it will be a good chapter (hopefully), but it might take me a while to get it out.

Let's hope that "a while" doesn't mean three months.

Don't forget: You can keep up with my writing by watching my blog (which I will do better to update now that fanfiction has the link working again) or my following me on Twitter. I use those solely for writing. If you want to know how my chapters are coming along, just keep an eye on one of those. Or both. You can also send me a private message.

_**PREVIEW:**_ Seto learns some interesting facts about Kray and the rest of the monsters. He returns home to see how the dragons have handled his absence.


	27. Twenty Seven

**SleepyKitty**: You picked a great time to review. I already had the rough draft of the chapter finished, and it just needed a second read-through. So, here is to bringing joy! I love you too. Haha.

**Everwild**: As if Seto didn't have a reason to avoid Joey hugs before. Haha. This just proved Seto's theory that he shouldn't associate with Joey.

**Stormygio**: AGJSOEH I'm sorry for not updating sooner! I really have been trying to give each of the dragons a different personality. I don't think I'm doing it well enough with Krin and Kara. You'll get to see a lot of Kray's personality in this chapter.

**Guest**: I'm so glad you liked the battle scene. I worked pretty hard to make sure it came out smoothly. I'm going to get into the "painful need for the monsters to find their person" in the next few chapters. No need to apologize for late reviews. I update really late. I'm the one who should be apologizing.

**sycoandcrazy**: I like writing Kray. I think he is the dragon I'm most similar too (aside from some things he does in later chapters). His dialogue is pretty close to what I would say in his situation. The story isn't really ALMOST over. I have probably about ten chapters left. It will be super sad to see it end.

**Harvest Dragon**: I'm glad you liked the chapter. This one isn't really suspenseful, since it would get old to be on edge with every chapter. But hopefully, you'll find this chapter interesting. And I'll explain the monsters' pain over "their human" pretty soon.

**AnonymousGuest:** Yikes. I hope you didn't log in every day waiting for this one. It has been quite a while. Thanks for the review!

**Kazo the Hedgehog**: Not all of Possessions can be intense or dark. I have to throw the funnier portions in, and I've found that Joey is a great means to do so. But I'm so glad you found it funny. I was worried it wouldn't come across.

* * *

**Seto**

* * *

"Sit."

Kray pointed to his bed before walking to the adjoining bathroom. Seconds later, I heard water running. When I glanced over, I caught Kray's eyes in the mirror. He turned his head, likely noticing that I still stood, and said, "Sit down."

"You really should just let me walk back."

"No. It's dark."

"I walk around at night."

"You shouldn't."

"I have to get back," I said.

"You're staying here. Sit down."

When I looked down to the bed, I noticed that it was as clean as the rest of Kray's apartment. It was strange in comparison to the Slaver's apartment or my house. The Slaver had lived in filth, while the other dragons never took time to pick anything up. Kray kept his space immaculate.

"How does Krin put up with your disobedience? Sit."

I did, seeing no reason that I shouldn't. As I sat down, I watched Kray's reflection. He tried to remove his shirt without further hurting his arm. But since the arm was completely burned, the act proved impossible. Kray gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes together. He refused to give up until the shirt was off.

My own hands were pulsing with pain. They were covered with dirt and blood, still filled with small shards of glass that I had been unable to pick out on the walk over. Blisters had formed on my fingertips and palms. I traced them gently.

A quiet growl came from the bathroom. A spark of light erupted from Kray's unburned hand, and talons appeared in the place of his fingers. I watched with interest. I didn't know that they could just transform part of themselves.

Kray took one of his claws and dragged it up from the hem of his shirt. I heard the tear from across the room. Once he had the long rip up the center, Kray tore the rest of the shirt off. The sleeve on his hurt arm had mostly burned away, but I could see bits of fabric fused to his skin.

"Is there any reason you're staring?" Kray shook his hand and it lit up before returning to the human form. He carefully pinched pieces of the material stuck to his arm and peeled them off. The pain displayed on his face was evident, and I didn't want to add to it, so I went with a lighter subject.

"Is your hair naturally like that?"

"No."

Kray turned his head away when he ripped another piece from his arm. I heard a quiet moan.

"Then why did you do it?"

Kray's eyes met mine in the reflection. It was clear that he didn't want to talk, but he answered anyways. Maybe talking was a helpful distraction.

"Got sick of being confused with the little brother."

He twisted his arm around to look at the backside. His every movement brought about a new wave of groans. The extent that his arm was burned would have hospitalized him if it happened until normal circumstances. I wondered if him really being a dragon had any affect on how he could handle pain. I knew that I had a high tolerance, but an injury on that level would be far too much for me.

"Do you want my help?" I offered when he bit off a scream.

"Keep talk-" Kray tried ripping another piece off as he spoke, and his sentence came to an abrupt end. "-ing," he finished, taking several heavy breaths.

"You're the oldest?"

Kray made a "mmhmm" sound in affirmation, slightly nodding his head.

"Are you much older than the others?"

This time, Kray shook his head. "I hatched first."

I couldn't stop the sudden exhale. It took a second to process the idea that I was carrying on a conversation with something that had come out of an egg. It was a strange notion.

"What order did the others come in?"

Kray examined his arm another time and seemed to decide that there was nothing else stuck on. He bent down and opened the cabinet underneath the sink, then pulled out a large, white bottle.

"Kisara. Krin. Kara."

I chuckled in surprise. "Kisara is older than Krin and Kara?"

"Yes." Kray started squeezing the contents of the bottle out onto his arm. His breathing was coming in short spurts as he began to rub it into his skin.

"How much older?"

"In your time?" Kray's hand froze, and even from several feet away, I could see the tremors running through his body. It amazed me that he was still conscious. He took a few seconds to collect himself. "A day or so."

As much as I wanted to keep talking, I knew that as soon as Kray finished tending to his arm, he wouldn't want the distraction. I doubted that he would likely tell me anything after he completed his task.

"Time in your world is different then," I said. I knew I should have been asking more relevant questions, but I didn't want to push him too far. If I edged into the subjects, I would be more likely to get information.

Kray leaned forward and propped his good elbow on the counter. He let his head fall down, nearly hitting the mirror when he did. "It's slower here." His words were forced, close to a whisper.

"In my time, how old would you be?"

Kray steadied himself and pushed himself back up. A roll of bandages sat on the counter top, and he picked it up. He used his teeth as much as his hand to unravel just over a foot of material. He started with his wrist and began wrapping. "Five thousand years?"

I stopped talking. Having been previously obsessed with Duel Monsters, and acquaintances with Yugi, I knew the history of the monsters. Five thousand years was certainly a span of time that stuck out. I shook my head and blinked a few times. It was just another thing to chalk up to coincidence.

Kray reached his shoulder and tied off the bandage. He didn't drop the bandage roll, but kept it in his hand. Bending back down to the cabinet, Kray picked up a box. He brought both items into the bedroom. I watched as he set them on the bed bedside me. I peered into the box, noting that it was a first aid kit.

But when I looked up, I saw something that I hadn't been able to see from across the room. Kray didn't put a shirt back on after bandaging his arm, so I could see the thick, dark scar circling his chest. It was about as wide as my fist, messy and rough. If Kray noticed me staring, he didn't say anything.

"Hands."

I lifted my upturned palms to him. He moved items around in the box until he found a bottle of peroxide. He bit down on the lid to unscrew the bottle, then poured it on my hands. I didn't react, not because it didn't hurt, but because after watching what Kray had just gone through, flinching at a minor sting would be pathetic.

"How did you get that?" I asked, gesturing to his stomach with my chin.

Kray moved his foot so that it was out of the path of the dripping peroxide. While I waited for a response, Kray twisted the bottle cap back on. No reply came.

I thought about offering to wrap my own hands up, but with both injured, it would turn out for the best if I let him work on it. Letting him wrap my hands also kept him close, more prone to conversation.

"What happened?"

"Don't concern yourself." Kray wound the bandages around my palms quickly, leaving my fingers uncovered.

"Would Kisara tell me?"

"No. She couldn't. The scratches on your face can heal on their own."

Kray went back into the bathroom, but he had given me a clear string of information to follow, so I tugged.

"Does she not know?"

"I don't even know," Kray said from the next room. I dropped my hands, having been too distracted from the conversation, and had left them hanging in the air.

"You don't know how you got _that _scar?"

Kray walked out of the bathroom and over to a closet. A few seconds later, he came out with a shirt. I could see that it was too large for him, but when he tried to put it on, the reasoning was apparent. With his arm burned, getting anything else on would be more difficult.

"You're not going to tell me?" I asked when he didn't respond.

"I can't tell you what I don't know."

"When did it happen?"

Kray groaned and sat down on a chair in the far corner of the room. "What does Kisara see it you?"

"I'm just really charming."

Kray leaned his head side to side and I heard his neck pop. He propped his elbow on the chair's arm so that he could rest his head on his fist. His eyes didn't even glance my direction.

"You're really not going to tell me anything?"

"There's no reason I should."

I knew that once he had finished with the first aid kit, Kray would be less inclined to talk. I had to get him back in the conversation.

"You kidnapped me." I had been purposefully pushing my concerns about Mokuba out of my mind, since logic stated that I couldn't do anything to get back to him. I didn't want to bring him into the discussion, but since Kray seemed to share my concern over a younger sibling, that common ground might be cause for relating to him. "My brother's life is in jeopardy. I deserve answers."

Kray laughed. I clenched my teeth and waited for him to stop.

"I do for cooperating and not trying to run."

"You couldn't get away from me."

"I escaped all three of them," I said. Arguing was likely a bad idea, but I was tired of his laughter.

But Kray still seemed amused. "Not really a challenge."

If I was trapped with Kray, and unable to get back to Mokuba, then I wasn't going to waste the time. Kray would talk to me, or I would fight to leave.

"I'd like some answers anyways."

Kray rubbed at his eyes. I could almost see his internal debate as to whether or not he wanted to continue talking. "I don't promise answers. But ask whatever."

"How did you get the scar?"

"I just told you that I don't know."

"No one gets a scar like that without knowing something."

"You sound confident."

"Experience. You must know some detail."

Kray moved his gaze down to his hurt arm. He let a few seconds pass before answering. "It just happened."

"When?"

"In your time?" Kray paused to think it over. "Maybe three years."

That triggered something in my thoughts. The two events could not possibly coincide. Approximately three years had passed since I had stolen the fourth Blue-Eyes. Too many coincidences were adding up. But that was all they were — coincidences.

"It just appeared?" I asked. I hoped he would give me any details that would disprove the nagging voice in my head.

"Came out of nowhere."

"Did it hurt?" I wanted more specific details.

Kray absent-mindedly scratched his stomach. "Like being torn in two."

It was his phrasing. His words called back the memory of holding the Blue-Eyes and ripping it in half. That happened three years ago. I looked at Kray's scar. I couldn't have done that. It wasn't possible.

"And after that?" I asked the question as a filler, just to keep him talking while I attempted to put the information in order. My mind was reeling with the vague and scattered facts.

"I realized that it was absurd to separate light and dark. My siblings didn't agree. I left."

"And you and your siblings were fine before that?"

Kray nodded. I kept my eyes on the scar, my mind still feverishly trying to convince itself that I was wrong. I had nothing to do with Kray leaving the other Blue-Eyes.

"Why did you come through the portal?"

Kray looked at me for the first time in a few minutes. "Why are you so interested?"

"We have to talk about something, and you don't want to hear about me."

Raising his eyebrows, Kray nodded several times. "That's true."

"So, why leave your world?"

"It doesn't matter."

I shrugged casually, as if I didn't particularly care to know. I did, but I couldn't let Kray onto that fact.

"I would still like to know."

"I had to find someone."

"The group that Krin mentioned?"

"No."

I understood what he meant. "You chose someone?"

"No."

He blinked too rapidly. I was edging near a topic he wasn't comfortable discussing. I kept going.

"But there is someone?"

Kray's expression changed. While he had before appeared annoyed, he now looked borderline sad. His eyebrows moved closer together and he bit down on his lip. His eyes moved away from me again.

"Not anymore."

I knew the answer to the question before I asked. "What happened?" I could see what he would say in the pain that crossed his features. It was different from the pain he had been going through from the burn. It was deeper.

"I killed him." His eyes shot back to connect with mine; the intensity in his gaze almost made me glance away. Although he didn't want to talk about it, I had to know.

"Because you didn't want to keep up with him?"

Kray grew angry at my suggestion. "You don't get it, do you?"

"About how it hurts to be separated from the person you choose?"

Kray's head bounced back and forth. "If you felt it for just a day, you wouldn't try to run from my sister." It continually struck me as odd how he singled out Kisara. "And it isn't fair that it only happens to some. You should pity Kisara for having to experience it."

"You want my pity?"

"I don't. But Kisara deserves it."

I shook my head. "Then why kill the person you are connected to?" I thought back over my sentence. My mind wasn't doing its job to push away my theory.

"To stop it. My group doesn't allow pets."

"If you can't keep someone, it's best to kill them?"

"No," Kray said. It was subtle, but I heard the slight waver. "I was wrong. It gets far worse."

That might account for the reason Krin appeared so relieved when he found me alive at the Slaver's house. He knew that my death would make things worse for him.

"Have you told your siblings about that?"

"I don't talk about it."

His foot was tapping against the leg of his chair. I reconsidered what I had thought about Kray before. I had based everything I knew about him off of Krin's warning. Krin depicted him as a traitor, as someone to be feared. Kray just seemed more broken than anything else. I knew there had to be some merit to Krin's warning, so I didn't write off Kray as misunderstood just yet.

"What was he like?" I assumed the person Kray chose was male.

Kray shifted in his chair, but didn't find any suitable position. He got to his feet and walked across the room to lean against the wall. "I don't know. I killed him as soon as I found him."

I pulled my feet up on the bed and stared at the bandaging on my hands while I asked the next question. "Who was he?"

It took Kray a few seconds to answer. "Some old man. I never even got a name," he said quietly.

Chills ran down my arms. My body froze in place as I processed what he said. Though I knew it was a bad idea to ask, I couldn't stop myself. The thought processes I had been repressing jumped to the forefront of my mind. "Short man, spikey hair?"

I forced myself to look at Kray. He stared back with his lips parted in surprise. "What makes you guess that?"

"Did he live here, in this city?" I pressed. _Please say no._

"How do you know that?"

Everything clicked. It seemed crazy, and I felt crazy for thinking it, but I understood everything that had happened with the monsters. I could answer every question that was ever raised in the past. It felt like a haze had been lifted from around my brain. It all cleared.

But in my revelation, I didn't answer Kray. He stormed across the room and grabbed onto the collar of my shirt, pulling me to my feet. I stumbled a bit to keep from falling over.

"How do you know that?" he repeated more forcefully.

"I think I knew him." I tried to lean back, but Kray closed the gap, keeping his face right in front of mine.

"What was his name?"

It wasn't the question I had been expecting. "Solomon."

Kray released me with a push and took a step away, using the back of his hand to rub his nose. I adjusted my shirt as I waited for him to speak.

When he spoke, it wasn't directed to me. He just repeated the name. "Solomon." He pronounced each syllable carefully.

As he continued to get a feel for the name, I started to inch towards the door. It was only a matter of time before he realized that I had no reason for being able to guess the name just based on the description "old man." He would want answers. And now that I had the answers, I couldn't risk telling him.

Kray was oblivious as I moved away from him. When I reached the bedroom door, he still stared at the floor, mouthing the name. The moment I could no longer see him, I spun around and ran for the front door.

It took just a few seconds for a hand to circle around my neck. I was thrown against the nearest wall, and not even given a moment to react before Kray flipped me around so that I faced him. He kept the hand pressed against my throat, his other arm limp at his side.

"You aren't leaving tonight."

I couldn't respond through his grip. I lifted a hand to attempt to pull his hand from my neck, but even if my hands hadn't been hurt, Kray was far stronger than I.

"It strikes me that you know a lot more than you let on." He tightened his hold. My lips parted as a choke slid through. "Either that, or you are lying."

I wondered if he knew how close I was to passing out. He didn't seem to, and unfortunately, I knew that I couldn't let on. I couldn't allow him to question me. Just a few more seconds and I would-

* * *

He had moved be back to the bed. Kray was still awake — I could hear him pacing in the room — so I couldn't have been out for long. I stayed motionless to keep him from realizing that I had woken up. I needed to wait out the rest of the night. I laid still until I fell asleep.

* * *

My eyes opened on reflex. I blinked them closed, but knew that Kray, sitting across the room, had noticed. He jumped up from the chair and moved over, grabbing my shoulder to shake me.

"Don't pretend you are asleep."

I opened my eyes again and rolled my head to the side. "You knocked me out."

"You fell unconscious, and that's what you will tell Kisara."

"Unconscious from lack of oxygen." I pushed myself up and rubbed at my neck as if it still hurt. It wasn't as painful as I would have expected, after both Red and Kray trying to strangle me.

Kray seemed horrified that he had hurt me. His mouth was stern, but his eyes were wide. I knew he was worried that I would tell, and that would cause a rift between the siblings. That meant I had something to hold over him.

"Take me home."

"You're not going anywhere."

I held my hand to my throat and coughed. "Then what do you think I'll tell Kisara?"

Kray's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."

"I will." I got to my feet. Kray stood close enough that I had to look up at him, but I didn't let that shake my gaze.

Kray's nose started wrinkling and twitching. His lips lifted in a snarl. "That's the thanks I get for saving your life?"

"I don't even know if my brother is alive right now. I'm going back."

I walked past him and towards the door. Kray moved behind me. Unlike the last time, he didn't attempt to stop me.

I reached for the doorknob but pulled my hand back. The second time I reached out, I just let my fingertips grab the knob. They were the least injured part of my hand.

Kray closed the door behind us. I kept ignoring him as I walked out onto the street. I looked down the road in the direction of my house, then sighed, knowing that it would take me at least half an hour to get there.

There were several soldiers within my sight. Kray walked up next to me, but when he saw them, he stopped. We both stood near his apartment and looked at them. I knew that they couldn't see me walking with a monster. If word got back to the government that I was choosing to associate with them, the government might moving the attack on Domino up. So I slid back, hiding in the hallway of the apartment building.

Kray moved back with me.

"I can't be seen with you."

"Yeah. Me neither."

I glanced at Kray, then back to the street. There had to be a way to get home without anyone realizing that I was with Kray. The answer didn't take long to come to me.

"Fly me back," I said.

"What?"

"We can't be seen with each other. But everyone expects me to be with your siblings. You're indistinguishable from them as a dragon."

Kray groaned, but then nodded. "Fine. Hold on."

He walked back out onto the street and I turned my head. In a crack of lightning, Kray shifted into a dragon. The heat tingled on the back of my arms and the moment it wore away, I faced the Blue-Eyes.

Kray had ducked his head down so that he could peer into the hallway. His head was about the size of the entrance. It had been a while since I stood so close to one of the dragons in their real form, and I had nearly forgotten how large they were.

Kray growled when I didn't immediately move. Shaking my head, I went over to him. I walked to the side without the injured arm because I needed to be able to climb up to his back. Kray didn't seem interested in providing me with any assistance. He just turned to watch as I found a way to climb his leg and onto his back.

When I made it, he didn't waste a second before jumping into the air. I ducked my head, and grabbed onto grooves in his scales. I gritted my teeth, feeling my hands splitting open. I held on tightly as Kray rose higher.

On the street below, I could see people staring up at us. Kray drew a crowd that before the compromise, would have hidden away at the sight of him. People were adjusting too easily to the monsters' presence. It might be the death of many of them.

I looked up from the street and out towards the horizon. Standing on the ground, the horizon was blocked by the city's structures. But so far up in the air, I could see all the way out from the earth's subtle curve to the mountains out ahead of me. Even the bite of the cold morning couldn't detract from the view.

I had seen the view many times before. Not just flying around with the other dragons, but in my jet. Flying in an enclosed space didn't compare. The bitter wind woke me up, bringing about an alertness that I only felt while in the open air. I knew that I chose the Blue-Eyes as signature cards for a reason. They had such freedom and strength. It was demonstrated in their flight.

When my house came into view, I almost regretted having to land. But then I saw Kara standing at the front door. She had her head tilted up, watching as Kray flew closer. Right before we landed, she threw the front door open, almost ripping it off its hinges, and leaned inside.

The moment Kray's feet hit the ground, I jumped off. I ran to the front door and pushed past Kara.

"Seto?" she called once I had already gotten by. I noticed the light behind me, but didn't stop to see what Kray did.

Krin and Kisara came out of the bedroom, pushing each other aside as they tried to be the first person to reach me.

"Where have you been?" Krin demanded.

I looked around the room and only saw the dragons. Mokuba was nowhere to be seen. But the crutches were propped up against the wall. I didn't see Kuriboh either. I had assumed that if Mokuba was okay, he would be waiting in the living room for my return.

"Where is Mokuba?" I asked.

"Seto, dear! Are you okay?" Kisara ran up and grabbed my hands, but I shoved her away.

"Mokuba. Where is he?"

"You were late," Krin said.

My breaths caught in my throat and my entire body felt heavy. I couldn't stop my jaw from dropping open. "You didn't."

"Where were you?" Kara asked.

I just looked at her, knowing that my expression must be horrified. I couldn't answer.

"Big brother?"

I caught a deep breath and looked to Mokuba's closed door. Without another second passing, I sprinted over and opened the door.

Mokuba sat on the bed with Kuriboh in his lap. Mokuba's face was red and his eyes bloodshot. He looked up at me and burst into tears.

"Mokuba, I'm so sorry." I ran over and as I did, Kuriboh moved out of the way. I climbed on the bed and pulled Mokuba into my arms. He dropped his head onto my shoulder and continued crying.

I started gently rocking him back and forth, whispering apologies. His entire body shook and his heart pounded with such force that I could feel it beating. It took a few minutes for Mokuba's hyperventilating to calm, but he managed to speak. "What happened?"

I gently moved Mokuba away so I could look at him. His bottom lip quivered to the extent that I could hear his teeth clattering together. I hadn't seen him so scared since we were much younger.

"Red attacked me."

Mokuba's eyes widened, only slightly, since they were still filled with tears. "Why?"

"I smelled like Wheeler."

Mokuba laughed, but it came out more like a choked sob. He started to rub at his eyes and when he did, Kuriboh moved closer. Mokuba began to run his fingers through Kuriboh's hair.

"But you didn't come back."

"I know. I tried. Kray-" I paused to sigh. "Kray saved me," I admitted. "But he wouldn't let me come back last night."

"Seto-" Mokuba began. He didn't get the chance to finish. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and was jerked back off the bed. I managed to get my feet underneath me before I toppled to the ground. The hand from my shoulder moved to grab my jaw and spun me around.

I tried to pry Krin's hand away from my face, but could do nothing as he dragged me out of the room. I scratched at his hand, trying to get him to let go of my jaw. Krin didn't until he threw me against the wall in the living room, then stepped in line with his sisters.

"Where were you?"

"Kray didn't tell you?" I said. My heart was burning with anger. Krin lead me to believe that Mokuba was dead, even though it was only for a few moments. I knew he did it just to spite me for being late.

"Seto, please tell me," Kisara said.

I lifted a hand to point at her, but had to clench it into a fist to keep from shaking. "Don't. How could you?"

"You broke-" Kara started.

"No." I cut her off because there was absolutely nothing they could say to me that would take away my anger. "I tried to get back. You should know that I wouldn't leave Mokuba here."

"How should we know that?"

"I told you. I swore. You were prepared to kill my brother."

"That was our agreement."

"Did you even think that I might have been in trouble? That I was trying to get back?" I noticed that my words were shaking as badly as Mokuba's had been. I had been just as scared, but it only came to me now that I was confronted with the situation.

"We looked for you all night," Kisara said. She reached out for me, but I hit her hand away.

"You terrified him. You made him think he was going to die."

"And he would have," Krin said. "I don't care if you are too busy to make it back on time."

"Red attacked me," I said. "I couldn't get back." I spoke forcefully, trying to emphasize my point without shouting. I knew that if I started shouting, nothing would stop me.

"Seto! What happened?" Kisara said. I didn't answer her, but kept my eyes on Krin. I could barely see Kray leaning against the door, watching the situation with interest. He must be lingering for a reason.

"Red tried to kill me," I exaggerated slightly. Ripping the bandages off my hands, I held them out for the dragons to see. From the night before, they had turned a deeper red. Because of the bandages, my hands were damp, and the flight over had reopened the scabs in some places. I knew they could see the damage on my face, and probably my neck, as well. "I was trying to get here."

Krin's eyes darted down to look at my hands. He frowned. I kept going before he had the opportunity to speak again. "If anything happens to my brother, that's it. You'll have no hold over me."

"We still have the compromise," Kara said.

"You think I'd care? Do you really believe, for a second, that I would be working so hard to protect this city if Mokuba wasn't in it?" I shook my head to answer it for them. "If I lose Mokuba, I'm done. Keep that in mind next time you think about hurting him."

I was finished talking to them. I stepped to the side to get around them and started walking towards Mokuba's room.

"Seto, wait!"

Kisara grabbed onto my arm to try to stop me. I spun around and shoved her away for the second time. She looked like I had hit her when she was forced to fall back several feet. "Do not talk to me," I said. I felt the hatred leaking through my expression. She looked scared and she stepped back further.

"How dare you?" I asked quietly. I walked off without another word.

I went back into Mokuba's room, taking his crutches with me. Before walking in, I took a deep breath to calm myself. I didn't want Mokuba to see me angry.

Kuriboh was back in Mokuba's lap. I found it surprising that he hadn't protested to my being in the room yet. He had even moved earlier so that I could reach Mokuba. He was cooperating with me.

Mokuba's face had cleared up a little. He still stroked Kuriboh's hair. His eyes traveled to the crutches I held. I could see his deep swallow when he saw them.

"They're mad," he said.

I nodded. "So am I." I crossed the room to sit on the edge of the bed. I put the crutches where Mokuba would be able to reach them without issue.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

I thought about Kray standing in the other room, and then what I had figured out from talking to him. I wanted to tell Mokuba, but not with Kuriboh in the room. He might not be able to tell the dragons, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't tell someone else. So for now, I would tell Mokuba nothing about it.

"I will," I said. "Later," I added. I met Mokuba's gaze and held it with a slight dip of my chin. He seemed to understand that I wasn't able to give him the real story.

Mokuba looked down at Kuriboh, still messing with his hair. Mokuba didn't even seem annoyed that Kuriboh was hovering so close. Kuriboh appeared content with just sitting in Mokuba's lap. I wondered if he had been as afraid as Mokuba.

I held my hands up and wished that I hadn't ripped off the bandages. The chilly air in the bedroom made my hands feel like they were getting crusty. But I didn't want to walk outside. I didn't want to face the dragons again for a long time.

I moved up on the bed and rested against the headboard with Mokuba. He placed his head on my shoulder, and I put mine on top of his. Mokuba's body still shook, but as we sat there, the tremors faded.

* * *

. . . Hey guys. I'm sure you're sick of hearing my apologies, but I'm sorry anyways. National Novel Writing Month (and the preparation for it) took precedence over fanfiction. But now that classes are out, I hope to have more time to write. No promises, since I never seem to meet my scheduled deadlines.

Thanks to everyone who stuck with me! And let me know what you thought of this chapter!

**_Chapter Twenty Eight Preview:_** Mokuba has a sit down with Kisara. Seto goes to visit with someone to confirm his ideas.


	28. Twenty Eight

**Stormygio: **But hey, at least you get around to reading them! Haha. We'll get into the Red/Joey thing in a while. There are other issues that need to be discussed first. Thanks for the review!

**Yugiyukiyuseiyuma: **Yikes. You have a long username. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you enjoy the story.

**Siren Scribble**: Why, thank you. I've never had my writing referred to as a "work of art." Thanks for the boost to my ego. You'll get to see Kisara's responses in this chapter.

**Aqua-Princess**: I was so amazed with your prediction. Haha. I'm pretty sure I commented on that when you reviewed originally. Congrats. P.S. No, it's not bad that you want Red to get Joey. I can't guarantee that it will happen, but wanting it isn't a bad thing.

**AnonymousGuest**: . . . Who knows what would happen if all the cards were burned? (Well, I do. But, we'll get into that later on.) Thanks for the review!

**TeresaShiho**: It's good to be back! You'll get to see more about the "compulsion" in the next chapter. This chapter is a bit more about Kisara. I say a bit. It's all about Kisara. And getting to 40k in NaNo is nothing to be upset about. That's great! Congratulations!

**Sycoandcrazy**: I think everyone was really upset to find out that Solomon is dead. It was mentioned in almost every review. I'm glad you like the sibling dynamics. I spent a lot of time working them out. And hey, at least you tried NaNoWriMo. That's more than most people.

* * *

I realize that the preview for this chapter said that I would be giving Seto a section, however, that section is going to be longer, and I wanted to update (reason given below), and because of that, here is just Mokuba's POV.

* * *

**Mokuba**

"Thanks for walking with me," I said. I took another forced step, my crutches dragging since I caught sight of the house after the last corner. Even though I was glad to be out of the hospital after sitting in the waiting room all morning, I didn't want to go home. Joey must have noticed me slowing down, because he did too.

"Not a problem, little Kaib'. Glad to assist."

He talked too loudly. I tried to be subtle as I looked around. It was hard to do while supported myself with crutches, and twisting around took more effort than was typical. I saw nothing other than the usual soldiers stationed. They didn't leave me with a feeling of security that I originally expected their presence would bring. The number of them was claustrophobic. Their eyes followed me as I walked to the house. The longer I stayed out, the more the house seemed like a safe haven.

It would be for me. Joey still had to walk back to his home alone. Seto told me all about Red wanting Joey, but had asked that I not mention it to him. If Joey found out, he might go into hiding, and Seto didn't want to deal with tracking him down, or something like that. I hadn't been given Seto's entire plan.

All I knew was that once he and Krin were back on usual terms, Seto planned on doing something important. I didn't know exactly what, just that it was a bad idea for Joey to be shouting on public streets.

When I got to the door, I knocked instead of trying to work my key out. I could do it, but it required balancing my crutch and reaching around to dig into my pocket.

The blinds were open, and I could see everyone sitting in the living room, everyone except for Kisara. That didn't surprise me. After Seto yelling at her the other night, she had been difficult to keep track of. I was beginning to think that her absence caused more issues than her presence.

Joey waited with me until Krin opened the door. When Krin saw me, he gave me the same, irritated expression that he almost always wore and then stepped aside so I could walk inside. Joey leaned in after me and waved at Seto. Seto's response was to lower the book he was reading, giving Joey a pointed stare, then to lift the book back up. Joey rolled Seto's rudeness off and said goodbye to me before leaving.

"What did the doctor say?" Seto asked as soon as Krin closed the door. He put his book down to give me his full attention.

"Another week with crutches, then just the boot." I took a few steps towards Seto before I sensed the horrible tension in the room. I could feel it in the air, almost like static. Of course, it was completely possible that I was feeling real static coming from the dragons. That only added to my discomfort at the though of remaining in the room. At least when Kisara had clung to Seto, she had filled the silences with chatter. Now everything was quiet.

"Nothing about how the bones are healing?"

Krin reclaimed his seat next to the door and across from the couch. It was the seat furthest away from Seto. Kara sat on the other end of the couch, leaning on the armrest as if that added greatly to the distance between her and Seto.

"It's not like he can do an x-ray. He didn't say anything was wrong with it. Where's Kisara?"

Seto shrugged, so I turned to Kara.

"Out back," she said, maintaining a glare towards the window.

I decided to go see Kisara. If the next week, possibly longer, would be sitting around in rooms like this, then I had to do something. And luckily, Kuriboh had left earlier with me and since he hadn't been out in days, I assumed he would be gone a while. That gave me the time I needed for my conversation with Kisara.

I rarely used the back door. I didn't leave the house often, and when I did, I always went out the front. There was no real reason aside from that which kept me from the backyard. We actually had a nice area behind the house. It was fenced in, but small and full of trees and bushes.

I opened the back door and saw Kisara immediately. She sat on the one step that led out to our backyard. She curled up so that her hands could grab at her feet. Tears fell steadily from her eyes.

"Hey Kisara," I said, letting her know I was there since she hadn't seemed to notice me. She must have been really distressed if she didn't hear me clunking towards her on my crutches.

She turned her head up, but when she met my eyes, she began to cry even harder. Kisara let a choked whimper escape before dropping her head back down. A few seconds later, she whispered, "I don't feel like talking, Mokuba."

I moved forward and gently lowered myself onto the step beside her. "That's good. I'd rather do all the talking," I said as I propped my crutches up against the side of the house.

Kisara's lips were slightly parted as she looked at me. Her front teeth touched her bottom lip, giving her a confused and innocent appearance. It didn't fool me.

"I want you to understand something about my brother," I began. I placed my hands in my lap and stretched my legs out in front of me. My words caught her attention and held it fast.

"The thing about Seto," I said, going slowing to make sure that I said what I meant to say. "-is that he doesn't love easily. He loves me," I said, sort of bobbing my head as I did so. "-and I think that right now, I'm all he loves."

Kisara look of confusion went to one of sadness. She seemed about to speak, so I shook my head to prevent her from it.

"Of course, that hasn't always been the case. Before you guys came, he loved three other things."

I shifted my head to look at the row of trees that lined the edge of our small yard. I highly doubted that Seto would want me telling Kisara any of this, but I had no intentions of stopping. If this was what it took for peace, then Seto could suck it.

"You see, there was this game that a lot of people played. Really, it was more than just some game. So many people based their lives around it. This _game _settled disputes; it determined who was in control."

I chose to leave the title off. Kisara might not take well to being a part of "Duel Monsters."

"Seto played," I said with a small laugh. "I say 'played' as if it was a casual thing. Seto, he dominated. It was amazing to watch. He had this-" I held up my hands as if I could give Kisara a visual image. "-ability to manipulate the game to his advantage. He was almost unstoppable."

"Almost?" Kisara interrupted. I let it slide.

"Very few people could beat him, but that's aside the point. Seto actually got pretty well known. People knew that when the duel got tough or it wasn't looking like he had a chance, there were three cards that he always turned to. Even when there were more logical cards to play." I spoke of his god card.

"Those cards were the Blue-Eyes White Dragons."

I stayed quiet as Kisara absorbed my words. It took her a few seconds to fully grasp my point. Just to make sure that I had been completely clear, I went on.

"Yeah, we knew about you before you showed up. And you see, you were what Seto was known for. You were his pride in the game. Aside from me, the Blue-Eyes were the only things Seto loved."

I looked at Kisara, then quickly away. It was more difficult to continue while staring at her evident depression. There was no point in stopping now.

"If you had come here and left Seto alone-" I stopped to reconsider. "Well, if all who came through the portal had let us be, then it would have been different. If you had left Seto alone, then he probably would have come looking for you. Because, up until this whole, choosing a human thing, Seto still loved you."

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Kisara had started to cry again. I didn't let that stop me.

"But you guys, you weren't what he expected. He played your cards with such passion, and his depictions of you were magnificent." My voice raised a pitch, but I lowered it instantly. "But when you came here," I paused to get up the nerve to say the next half of the sentence. "You were monsters."

"Exc-" Kisara began, but I held up a finger to shut her up. "Don't," I said sharply. Then again, somewhat softer. "Just don't."

"You came into our world, his world, and took control of it, of him. You kidnapped him, threatened him, beat him, and Kisara-" I paused again, knowing the next part might set her off. "You broke his heart."

I faced her. Kisara's jaw was clenched tightly, as if trying not to cry. Out of anger from the other night, I went on just as severely as I could. "My brother loved two things in this world, and a year ago, you took one of those from him. And then two days ago, you planned on taking the other."

She covered her face, and I heard heavy breaths hitting her hands. Instead of continuing, I waited for her to answer. I had said what I intended to. It was Kisara's turn.

She dropped a hand and let it rest on my leg. Her other hand stayed pressed to her mouth. She didn't bother wiping the tears away.

"I did it all wrong, didn't I?" Kisara rubbed her face, as if trying to scrub her skin off. She stretched out her legs, but only for a second. Kisara shook her head almost as soon as she did, then went back to hugging her knees. "I just, I wanted Seto to love me like I love him."

Her hand still sat on my leg. I looked at it while she talked instead of at her.

"I love him so much, and it kills me that he doesn't feel the same. I don't even think he likes me." She started crying again. "I'm trying, Mokuba. I can't get him to love me."

I turned my head back to her. "You're not trying."

Her eyes widened. "Yes, I am!" she said, insistent.

"Kisara, you aren't putting any effort into actually finding out how to make him happy. You're doing what you want to do, not what Seto wants."

"But, I don't know what he wants."

I kind of laughed. "That's my point. Have you even tried to get to know him? To figure out what he wants?"

Kisara shook her head. She pursed her lips before saying, "No, I guess I haven't."

I shrugged. "Then why do you expect him to love you back? You haven't earned that."

Kisara looked like she had a revelation. Her mouth fell open and she squeezed my leg to hold my attention. "You're right. I'm not doing enough. How can I get him to realize that I love him?"

I started to speak, then stopped. "I don't know," I admitted. "I've never had to work for Seto to love me. I guess I have it easier in this respect."

"Mokuba-" I could see that Kisara's tears were fading away as she grew more determined. "Will you help me?"

I nodded without hesitation. "Yeah, I will."

She seemed taken back by my willingness to help. Kisara froze, stunned for a moment, then blinked the surprise away. "You will? Just like that?"

"Kisara, you and I agree on one thing. We both want Seto to be happy. Your way didn't work. So, I guess it is time we tried mine."

Kisara smiled brightly and threw her arms around me. I leaned my head back so my face wasn't so close to hers. Seto was going to kill me.

* * *

**Dear Readers**,

I know that this is a short chapter, but I wanted to update now. You see, as of a week ago, Possessions hit its three-year anniversary. I really wanted an update on the exact day, but I got the dates confused.

I honestly cannot believe that this story is still in progress after so long. I've seen reviewers come and go (the going part I take all the blame for. That's what a long gap in updates results in), and for all my regular reviewers, I've enjoyed talking to you through both reviews/responses, and the occasional private message. I have said this before, but I mean it more and more every time.

Thank you to everyone who is still reading this story after three years. And to everyone who has jumped in along the way. It means the world to me that you enjoy the story and put up with my horribleness at updating.

_**PREVIEW**_: Seto goes to visit with someone to confirm his ideas.


	29. Twenty Nine

Hello again, lovely people.

Disclaimer: Don't steal my ideas, pretty please.

Review Responses are at the bottom this time.

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As a special thanks to a reviewer, this chapter is dedicated to potentialauthor18!

* * *

**Seto**

"One week."

"A month."

"Two weeks minus Wednesdays."

Krin growled. "Your medical center cannot need your help that badly."

"They do, and I want to help. Two weeks."

"Two weeks, three hours on Wednesdays, and no Sunday meetings."

I shrugged. "Deal." I tried to sound as though giving up Sunday meetings would not pose an issue, but it would. I immediately planned to send Yami and email to let him know that he would need to head over to the Game Shop on his own Sunday.

"How long do you need?" Krin asked.

"A few minutes to grab my coat and say goodbye to Mokuba."

Krin muttered something about meeting me outside before he left the bedroom. Kara sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, smiling at me.

"I cannot believe he agreed to that." She tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. "He must really miss bossing you around."

"It isn't like he ever stopped," I said. I kicked a blanket aside, expecting to find my coat somewhere that I didn't leave it. Kisara usually pushed my stuff around, which is the reason that I started looking in the places that I knew it shouldn't be.

"It's hanging on the door knob," Kara said.

I turned around and saw my coat. Kisara hadn't moved it. I frowned and walked over to it. Kisara left something of mine alone for the first time since we moved into this house. I supposed that I expected her to continue with her habits for much longer.

"When will you be back?" Kara asked. I slid into my coat and answered.

"Depends on how long it takes. Hopefully not very long."

"Before nightfall?"

"I certainly hope so." Having a conversation with Pegasus was not how I wanted to spend my day. Any length of time would feel too long. I left the bedroom and walked into the living room.

"Are you really leaving?" Kisara leaned forward on the couch, holding the cushions with a grip so strong that her hands turned white.

Beside her, Mokuba watched with interest. He stared at Kisara, slightly bobbing his head as he listened to the conversation. I kept my eyes on him instead of Kisara, because I knew I could get a lot more information from his face rather than hers. Mokuba knew something. But since I had gotten Krin to agree to fly me over, I didn't have the time to interrogate Mokuba.

"I am," I said. I went over to the side table beside the door to grab my keys. Kisara stood and hovered in the middle of the room. Her fingers tapped against her side as she bounced on her heels.

"Oh."

Mokuba's gaze looked like it would burn through her back if possible. His eyes were intent. After a moment, he briefly glanced away from Kisara and to me, but when he saw that I had my focus on him, he turned away quickly and began to pick at a pretend snag on his jeans. There was no doubt he was trying to keep something from me.

"When will you be back?"

"I don't know. Tonight, maybe."

"And you're going to be safe?" she asked. Her bouncing stopped.

"Krin is going with me, Kisara."

"You've run away bef-" she stopped mid-word and bit her lip. She looked back at Mokuba, who still wouldn't meet her eyes, then back to me. "Take care."

Krin walked out of the bedroom. A frown sat heavily on his lips. "Are we going?"

I nodded. "I'll see you later, Mokuba."

Mokuba glanced at me and bit his lip. "Yeah, Seto. Let me know how it goes."

I raised my eyebrows in his direction, keeping the rest of my face neutral. Mokuba's eyes widened and he gave me a very cheesy grin. He knew that he was going to be questioned when I returned.

Krin and I walked to the door. I locked it behind us, then turned to me. "Which direction?"

"West. It's six miles off the coast."

"Fine. Step back."

I did, turning my head away while Krin shifted forms. He didn't give me time to face him before he wrapped his tail around me and dropped me on his back. It hurt, mostly from having to catch myself on my injured hands. I had wrapped several layers of gauze and tape around them, but that did little to help cushion the impact. I kept them uncovered over the last two days to help them heal, but I knew I needed them covered today.

Krin's scales were cool, despite the air around us. I leaned my face against his neck, holding that position while I felt him prepare to jump. The back of his neck was flawlessly smooth, so I could feel his movements as he began to fly. I wrapped my hands around so that my fingertips could feel the ridges along his throat.

I would never design Duel Monsters holograms again, and as I observed how Krin moved, I almost regretted it. All of my designs had come from my imagination, since Pegasus had only given a flat image on a card. I spent a good amount of time picturing what the Blue Eyes' ridges were for, how they translated into movement, or if they played any part at all.

Now, with nothing better to do during the flight, I took the time to answer the question. As Krin flew, his head and neck bobbed up and down in a slow rhythm. It reminded me of how Mokuba used to stick his hand out my car window to feel the wind. Mokuba's hand made waved motions very similar to Krin.

Krin's neck only moved where the ridges were. They were like joints, or a spine. I spent the whole flight running my fingers up and down his neck, feeling the odd twitches his movements created. They almost didn't feel natural, but rather mechanical. His motions snapped like a typewriter's keys.

While we were over the city, other winged monsters floated around us. For the most part, they darted to avoid Krin. The limited few who remained on their course received long streaks of lightning in their direction. Krin didn't hit any of them, but he got close enough to send the monsters flying away.

When we reached the ocean, the number of monsters plummeted. A few lingered near the coast, but as we increased the distance from the shoreline, they dropped off until we were alone. I peeked over the side of Krin's neck and down at the water hundreds of feet below. The waves were too choppy to see Krin's reflection, but his shadow glided beneath us. It might have been beautiful, if it wasn't for the fact that it was _Krin_.

Krin's head stopped bobbing when the island came into view. His neck straightened out, pointing towards our destination. I kept my eyes forward too. It had been some time since I had last seen Duelist Kingdom, so I watched as it grew larger. Somehow, it seemed smaller than I remembered. Maybe that was due to the fact that I made the decision to travel over, rather than being forced. Whatever the reason, the castle looked like it took up the majority of the island.

Krin began to slow down as if to land when he reached the beach. I tapped my hand against him so he twisted his head back to look at me. I shook my head and pointed at the castle, more precisely to the area where I had dueled Yugi at Pegasus' command. If I remembered correctly, there was enough space for Krin to land, and that way, we wouldn't have to walk up through the woods.

Krin understood and seconds later, descended to where I directed. When his wings moved down, I could see that the castle entrance stood open. Pegasus stood by the wall next to the door, watching. At my first opportunity, I slid off Krin's back. Pegasus walked forward to meet me, but stopped when Krin became human with a bold flash. I kept walking, since my back was to Krin. The transformation cast a long shadow out before me.

"Pegasus," I said.

"Kaiba-boy, I've been expecting you for a while now."

Pegasus held out a hand, but I lifted my bandaged hands, as if that was the reason why I was not willing to shake his hand. I heard Krin coming up beside me. Pegasus looked over. "It is an honor to be in the presence of such power."

Krin didn't answer. It struck me as odd, since Krin liked having his ego stroked. I glanced over and found Krin's face slightly distorted. He stared harshly at Pegasus, almost like he didn't understand what he was looking at.

I went back to looking at Pegasus, only to find that the man I had come to speak with was smirking. If I had any doubts that Pegasus could answer my questions, they trickled away.

"Then I take it you know why I am here?" I asked.

"Of course. Like I said, I expected you here much sooner."

Krin's head moved down and up as he glanced from his chest to Pegasus. His fingers twitched at his side, like Kisara's did when she was nervous. I couldn't explain it, so I decided to ignore him for the time being.

"We need to talk."

Pegasus nodded. "If you would like," he began, directing his words at Krin, "You can go hunt across the island. Very few of your kind have traveled here, so almost all of my wildlife is untouched."

Krin stopped looking at Pegasus and switched to me. "I don't-"

"You agreed. I have an hour alone."

Krin's face had a large "But-" printed across it, I kept my face straight. "If you back out of your half of the deal, I don't have to honor my end."

He frowned, but said, "An hour."

When Krin walked away, I faced Pegasus again. "Inside?"

Pegasus lifted his palm in invitation, gesturing at the open door. I lead the way, hating how clearly I remembered the inside of his castle.

"I take it you finally figured out a few facts?"

"This isn't a casual visit."

"No, I would hardly call it that. I have a sitting room through here."

I stalled so Pegasus could pass me and enter the correct room. He opened the door to a room smaller than I expected. It consisted of a few arm chairs and bookshelves. In addition, a elaborate bar was set up in the farthest corner. Pegasus went straight to it and poured himself a glass of wine.

"Would you like something?"

"Answers."

"Always jumping right into business. Really, Kaiba-boy, the world is chaos. Do we need to conduct this with such formality?"

I just stared at Pegasus, waiting for him to cut the oblivious act.

He laughed. "Of course we do. You have a dragon waiting to whisk you back home. Tell me, are you his companion?"

"What did you do?" I asked, cutting him off before he could go down that topic any further.

"Be more specific," Pegasus said, taking a seat in the chair across from where I stood.

"Why are the monsters connected to their cards?"

Pegasus tilted his glass side to side, watching the wine swirl. "Why don't you tell me what you've discovered?"

"You sealed the monsters' souls within their card counterparts. Damaging the card injures the monsters." I paused when Pegasus' smirk returned. "We've have been carrying their souls, playing with them."

"Very good. You figured out the basics."

I rested my elbows on the back of the armchair in front of me. "Then fill me in on the rest."

"I'm sure you also know how the creatures match up with a human?"

"I carried the souls of the Blue Eyes around for years. I had a bond with them before they arrived here. Same for Yami and the Magician, or Keith and Zoa."

It took Pegasus a few seconds to take a sip, noting the flavor, before he answered me. "That is all true."

"Why would you put actual souls into playing cards?"

Pegasus lifted a hand to trace the area around his eye, where his Millennium Item used to be. "Because I could? It made the game more genuine? The cards certainly did carry a power of their own."

"How?" I asked.

"How did I do the same to you? To Mokuba? To Mr. Motou?" Pegasus' finger tapped against his face. "At one time I had the Item necessary to do so."

"Is this what you were hoping to accomplish?"

"Of course not, Kaiba-boy. This incident has ruined my entire company. This island is all that remains of my wealth."

"You really had no idea that this was a possibility?"

Pegasus scoffed and took another sip. "I knew it was possible. I just didn't think that Yugi would ever try something as foolish as opening a door to the Shadow Realm."

"Is there anyway to get them all back to their world?"

"Not that I am aware of."

I took a short pause to remind myself that just because Pegasus had no ideas didn't mean that it was impossible. If the portal could be opened, it could be closed.

"Unless you wanted to just destroy all the cards," Pegasus added. He waved a hand loosely. "Though I don't recommend that."

"Why?"

"I put a lot of effort into those cards. I would hate to see all my hard work destroyed."

I raised my eyebrows. "You would rather live in a world run by monsters rather than have all the cards in a game burned?"

"Well, it wouldn't be all the cards, but yes. I don't mind the creatures so much. In fact, I find them-"

"Wait," I cut him off before he had the chance to ramble. "What do you mean it wouldn't be all the cards?"

It was Pegasus' turn to be confused. "You really don't know what I meant? Tell me, how many Duel Monsters cards exist? How many were circulating a year ago?"

I didn't know the exact number, so I guessed. "Hundreds of thousands?"

"Yes, I did make quite the popular game, didn't I? But do you really believe that I had the time to seal thousands of souls into playing cards?"

"So, how many did you actually seal?"

Pegasus took a long, exaggerated sip, as if he was at a wine tasting. He swirled the wine some more, holding the glass up to the light to take in the color. He held the cup at different angles, moving it from his right side to his left.

"Pegasus!"

"Oh, calm down. I'm getting there."

"How many?"

"Less than a hundred."

The number caught me off guard. "That doesn't add up."

"You know, I keep up with everything that happens in Domino. You really have never questioned how the slave markets work? There are no pairings that seem off to you?"

I kept my eyes on Pegasus while I thought it over. The slave markets felt self-explanatory. The same set up had happened all throughout history in varying cultures. It never struck me as odd that the monsters would participate in the same act. They wanted humans.

But, did they just want any human? The slave market couldn't operate if every person had a monster particularly connected to them. I thought back to the Slaver and how he wanted Mokuba. Mokuba didn't have a deck he used, or at least, not regularly. He had no ties to the Trap Master, or to Kuriboh, for that matter.

To the best of my knowledge, Bakura didn't even have a D.D. Warrior Lady in his deck. But she had chosen him just the same. I always knew that some of the monsters had chosen without any understandable reasoning, but I never really considered it truly random.

"So," I said, starting slowly. "For people like me who owned a card you sealed a soul into, that monster found us. The rest of the monsters choose whomever?"

"Ding ding."

"Why didn't you tell everyone all this sooner?"

"I don't owe anyone this information. Quite honestly, I could end this conversation here, but it has been so long since anyone came to visit."

"If I destroy the Blue Eyes cards, I can be rid of the dragons?" I spoke out loud, but mostly to myself. It was such a simple solution, I had a hard time accepting the simplicity.

"Now, Kaiba-boy, something that I have been curious about, where have you been hiding these cards? I doubt you would want the real dragons to discover them, so, where have you stashed them all this time?"

"They are at h-" I stopped and sighed. "At home."

Pegasus lowered his glass and peered at me with the one eye I could see, his face shining with amusement. "That wouldn't be the home you had to abandon because it was overrun, now would it?" When I didn't answer, he added with a grin, "Oh. That's too unfortunate."

I leaned farther forward and pressed my hand against my mouth. Pegasus was right; it was unfortunate. The mansion, last time I checked, had monsters flooding to and from it. While I kept my cards in a sealed off basement room, there was no way to get in without going through the mansion. And since I would be going to get items which would kill Krin, Kisara, and Kara, I couldn't ask any of them to come along, no matter what lie I told. If I wanted in, I would have to go alone.

"Why are you so amused by all of this? Have you been unaffected?"

"What cards am I best known for?"

"Those disgusting toons?"

Pegasus chuckled. "And since those are monsters I invented, there were no souls to attach."

"They have left you completely alone?"

It was odd that Pegasus never invited me to sit down. Maybe after I refused the drink, he decided that I wouldn't be interested in carrying on like this was a lax get-together. My foot tapped against the back of the chair, so I knew I wouldn't sit down anyway. I needed the outlet.

"No, not completely. You did notice that the dragon that carried you over felt a connection to me?"

"That's what that was?"

"They all have a connection to me, all the ones with cards attached to souls, that is. I created the bond holding their soul. It might be a different sort of connection, but there is one."

"You're proud of that?"

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be? I like to think that I am the reason it takes so long for some of the creatures to find who they are searching for. Maybe I throw off the signal."

I had to take a deep breath to prevent myself from leaving the room. I hadn't finished talking to Pegasus, even if he was trying to force me out. I glanced around the room, trying to see if there was a clock anywhere. There was one on the wall, but I realized that I didn't know what time Krin and I had arrived.

"Why would the connection get worse if the person dies?"

Pegasus went back to smiling. "Do you miss your brother right now?"

I hadn't really been thinking about Mokuba, but when Pegasus brought him up, I could answer, "Yes."

"When he was my visitor during Duelist Kingdom-"

"You mean when you kidnapped him?"

"-Did you miss him then?"

"Of course." I let it pass as an understatement.

"And if he died, would that be the same?"

I thought back to two days ago when I thought Krin had killed Mokuba. Those few seconds had been the worst I could remember in a long time. It had been like my heart just stopped beating. "It wouldn't compare."

"You see, unlike you, I actually have lost the person closest to me-" I didn't bother interrupting to remind him that I was an orphan. "-and I can agree with evidence. Death makes the connection much worse. It isn't anything about the soul bond."

"But it causes them pain."

"When they are separated. What kind of separation is worse than death?"

My foot stopped tapping while I considered. "Because they were separated from their bodies in the cards, their souls connected to me?"

"So we've established."

I was still trying to work out how the bond could be one-sided. I didn't feel anything for the dragons, or at least, not how they described. Both Red and Kray had made the connection sound painful, as though it hurt to be away from us.

"If they somehow had gotten a hold of the card you put my soul in, would our positions have been reversed?"

"I suppose we can only know that if we try it."

I walked around the chair and over to the bar. Leaning against it, I said, "Convenient that you can't."

I crossed my arms and stared at the far wall. All this conversation had done was create more issues I would have to overcome before getting rid of the dragons. Aside from finding the cards, I still had the situation with the government to work out. Yami and I swore we would find a way to close the portal. If we couldn't do that, then getting rid of the monsters would be the next best thing. And since only some of the monsters were connected to cards, destroying the cards wouldn't be enough.

Pegasus turned in his chair. "Anything I can help with?"

"Would you actually help?"

"I think I have been more than helpful answering your questions." Pegasus took another sip. "It is always nice to be needed."

"Well, I think you have told me all you know. Unless you know something else, I'm going home."

"I wish you the best, Kaiba-boy. And I do hope that you can get out of the city before the bombing."

I had been about to walk away, but chose not to. I reluctantly switched my gaze to Pegasus. "How did you hear about that?"

"The same way I know that you have moved homes several times, that Yugi's darker half is living with the Dark Magician, and that you have taken up volunteering. Very noble of you."

"That isn't supposed to be common knowledge."

"Why don't you want people to know you're volunteering? Afraid you will lose your selfish facade?"

I ran my tongue over my teeth while I took a deep breath. Part of me realized that I would prefer for Krin to come back early. "About the bombing. Where did you hear that?"

"Like I said, I keep up with events in my favorite city. Your life is so much more interesting than my own, Kaiba-"

"None of these monsters have come here for you? You told Krin that there were others."

"Krin? Did you name your dragons?"

"Stay on subject."

"You're the one who deviated from the bombing."

I prepared to argue, but found that he had actually made a valid point. "Now that we are back to it, how did you hear about that? It has only been discussed in closed meetings."

Pegasus took a final sip from his glass and set it on the side table beside his chair. He pushed himself to his feet and stepped closer to me. "You aren't the only person the government has been in contact with. That Mr. Moore has a forceful personality, doesn't he?"

"Have you told him about the connection?"

"No, Kaiba-boy, I was saving that one especially for you. Don't you regret going for all of those Blue Eyes cards?"

I thought about Ryou, who after a month of compromise would hopefully not be chained any longer, and Wheeler. I would rather be stuck with the dragons that D. D. or Red. Now that I understood how they acted and thought, I knew how to work with them.

"It could be worse."

"It must be going well, since you now have a real life version of that jet you so adore. The dragon, Krin, I believe you said, was willing to give you a ride?"

"No. Which monsters do you have living out here?"

"I will make a deal with you. If you answer my question, I will answer yours. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Pegasus picked his glass back up and walked over to stand beside me at the bar. He reached to the bottle of wine he poured his last glass from and refilled his drink. He went through the same routine of examining the wine before taking his first sip. Then he said, "How did you get the dragon to fly you over?"

"I traded my time for his." Pegasus didn't need all of the details of the arrangement.

"Hm. How very interesting. How does his time compare to yours?"

Pegasus leaned sideways on the bar while I continued staring away from him. I knew that he would find amusement in any aspect of the situation, which was the only reason he asked. I considered lying, but didn't feel like making the effort.

"One day for two weeks."

Laughing louder than he had before, Pegasus nearly choked on his wine. "You have fallen quite a bit. As I recall, you used to be difficult to schedule meetings with."

"No, I just chose to ignore any requests you submitted for meetings. Now, tell me about the monsters on the island."

"They are all weaker ones. As far as I can tell, they aren't capable of changing forms. None of them are connected to any cards."

That explained why Pegasus was in no rush to help me, or anyone. He had nothing to gain from anything I could do. Closing the portal, destroying what monsters I could, stopping the bombing-

"You aren't that far from Domino. If we get bombed, the impact will hit here."

"Oh good. There's nothing left for me here. Besides, this castle echoes even when it is silent. I am ready for a change."

I turned my wrist towards me out of reflex, wanting to check the time, but not wearing a watch. It took a lot of willpower not to look down at it anyways. Instead, I started going through any questions that I might have. There would be no chance of coming back later on.

"Monsters like Kuriboh cannot become human. I have just been associating that with the attack level you printed on the card. Is it something similar to that?"

"I made up the attack points during production. I estimated based on histories I uncovered. Because of that, I wouldn't call them accurate. Any monster powerful enough to become human is a threat."

I lifted a hand to rub the side of my face where the long scratch used to be. "They are all a threat."

Pegasus made a quiet sound of agreement. "I suppose. The ones outside have never given me much of a problem."

"Do they ever come inside?"

"No. They all seem to avoid me for whatever reason."

I thought back to the reaction that Krin had to seeing Pegasus. He did seem to get an uneasy feeling from Pegasus, even if he didn't act on it. If he had any notion that Pegasus was dangerous, he wouldn't have left me alone. Krin must have felt some kind of connection, but said nothing. And if he chose to say nothing then, I knew he wouldn't tell me later on. The best I could hope for was that Krin would tell Kisara about it.

"I know about the Blue Eyes, the Dark Magician, and the Red Eyes, and Zoa. What are some of the others that you sealed?"

"Oh, most of the more powerful ones. The ones you said, of course. The Harpie Ladies – so I bet Mai is having a ball with those – and a Jinzo. a Kuriboh, though very likely it wasn't the one that chose your brother, the Mystical Elf, a Luster Dragon, and a few other small ones. Exodia too, but I had to divide his soul into pieces."

"The Exodia Yugi owned for the short while?"

"I would certainly say so. Otherwise, we would have heard of a creature of that size roaming about."

"Does the soul die if a card is destroyed, or is it just released?" I asked. I had already heard rumor of how Yugi lost Exodia, so I didn't need to continue down that trail of thought. And I knew that when I tore Kray's card, it hurt him, so the question was mostly asked for confirmation.

"You know, I have never tried destroying one. I guess you will be the first to conduct that experiment."

I nodded. "Then I have nothing else to ask. Enjoy your isolation."

As I began to walk to the door, Pegasus dropped his glass and ran around me. He stood between me in the door, looking flustered, but as though he was trying to hide that from me. "It hasn't been an hour, Kaiba-boy. What is your rush?"

"My great distaste for your company." I made to step aside, but Pegasus followed my movement.

"There's no need for that."

"Pegasus, let me pass."

Pegasus shook his head. "You are the first to visit me in months. Stay a while longer."

"Move." I spoke as strictly as I could, but began darting my eyes around the room, looking for a quick way out. I could probably run around, but would rather not do so just yet. Pegasus was desperate, but I doubted that he would try anything other than pleading. So instead of running, I decided to lie.

"When Krin says an hour, he doesn't mean it. He will be coming in for me shortly."

"Then you can stay until he returns!" Pegasus planted his feet.

"You do not want him to come back to find you keeping me here." When Pegasus still didn't move, I added, "He burned alive the last person who tried that."

"And what about your compromise?"

"You said yourself, you never speak with anyone. Who will notice you're gone?"

"You're actually threatening me?"

"Absolutely. Get out of my way."

This time, Pegasus didn't move when I walked around him. He watched me pass, and his mouth opened and closed a fraction, but he said nothing. I went straight to the door, saying nothing else, and walked in the direction of the entrance. The front door had never been closed, and I could see Krin waiting, leaning against the stone wall outside. When he caught sight of me, he jumped forward, nearly running to meet me.

"Now we can go?"

"I'm finished. You're in charge," I said, just so he knew I planned to at least play along with our agreement.

"Good. There is something not right about this place."

"I didn't really want to come either."

"Then we won't return. Step back."

I did, knowing how far to move away before Krin changed. When I turned my head, I saw Pegasus standing in the doorway. I closed my eyes when the light flashed, and when I opened them, he was gone.

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...

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**AnonymousGuest**: Sadly, I don't think that I'll be able to do that "what if" scenario. I'm slow at updating as it is. If I was to go into what the world would have been like if the monsters weren't possessive, it would be a different story entirely.

**Aqua-Princess**: For me, short chapters do not equal faster updates. Not with college and working an almost-full-time job. You will see more match-maker stuff in later chapters. Not in this one, obviously, but definitely in . . . the one after next. I might include some in the next chapter. **And **no worries, even if my updates take six months, I'm finishing this story. Your support has been crazy appreciated. Forreal.

**Havelock Vetinari**: Mokuba is a cool character. I have always thought that Seto was my favourite, but as it happens, Mokuba has been growing on me. Mokie's going to be a big character, obviously. I know you said this like, almost six months ago, but you said you'd give a thorough review this time around! If you are still reading, that would be super cool.

**Siren Scribble**: I'm glad you liked the last chapter. It was only of my favourites thus far. Kisara is an interesting character to write, since she is basically deluded. And destroying the decks does seem like a logical decision, huh?

**Harvest Dragon**: I like your reviews. Not just because that last one made me happy, so I read it several times while trying to write this chapter, but because they always seem pretty honest. So, if I mess up somewhere, I feel like you will catch me on it. But in a nicer way, unlike some people who have reviewed. So, thanks a lot!

**7LightWings7**: I'm glad you fell in love with the story! Is your love like Kisara's love for Seto? I feel like the story is going to be a bit predictable from here on out. Just a couple of minor twists. Stick around!

**Sycoandcrazy**: Hehe. Clue-by-four. I've been waiting months to comment on that. Though, I guess I could have just sent you a private message. Hm. It has been about three and a half years now. I write so slowly. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, since it has been a while!

**Stormygio**: SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY IN POSTING! Haha. You're shipping SetoxKisara? I highly doubt Seto would approve. And no worries, there will be more scenes with them later on. Kisara gets her own chapter pretty soon. Hopefully, I'll see you in the next chapter!

**AyaseFanGirl**: No worries. I'm a full time student, and I just started a new job (you know. . . in February.) So, that's the main reason I haven't been updating. And even now that it's summer, I'm still working, and taking summer classes. Ugh. One more year of college. I keep trying to reread the whole story, but I keep finding typing errors, and my writing style isn't really the same, so I keep trying to edit. I may wait to reread until I finish. Only . . . 13ish chapters to go! Hey, I'm getting close. See you around!

**Potentialauthor18**: You know what I love? Like, really, truly love? Answer: People who review bunches of chapters at once. Seriously, that was awesome. I kept getting them while at work, and that made my day way better. Your reviews definitely got me to finish this chapter. Reviews work! I have actually had some people ask/tell me that they wanted to write a version of this story themselves. I had one person tell me they were going to show me the right way to do it. And since it's fanfiction, people are free to do what they will, I suppose. I usually tell people I'm okay with people writing their own version, so long as they say they got the idea from me. That way, I don't get private messages/reviews from people telling me that someone is copying my story. But, aside from all of that, all of your reviews were amazing and wonderful, so I suppose this chapter is dedicated to you! Hm. I guess I'll go back and put that note at the top.

_Dear Readers: I love you all. You are fantastic. Also, I'll probably try to blog about this chapter, and the last few, at some point in the next few days. The link is on my profile. The poll is still up. Shoot me a PM or review if you would like. Follow me on Twitter. You know, talk to me. You rock. _

_-KaelynnD_


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